Something to Rely On
by LitLover 101
Summary: Drs. Hayley Marshall and Elijah Mikaelson work to keep their new engagement on track amidst the chaos of the hospital they work at and their family's insentient drama. Will love triumph in this last tale as Hales and her friends try to finish their residency? What does the future hold for this group? They can't wait to find out.
1. Chapter 1

Drs. Hayley Marshall and Elijah Mikaelson work to keep their new engagement on track amidst the chaos of the hospital they work at and their family's insentient drama. Will love triumph in this last tale as Hales and her friends try to finish their residency? What does the future hold for this group? They can't wait to find out.

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**The**__**Originals**_**. That would be Warner Brothers, Julie Plec and the usual suspects. **

**WARNING: If you haven't read **_**I Have a Bad Case of Loving You **_**and**_** Rumor Has It**_**; you might be confused. **

**Hello, my lovely readers. This IS the full first chap. It's a bit on the dramatic side, but we'll find some levity, I promise. On with the show...**

Chapter 1: And We All Held Our Breath

_Hayley_

Some days begin okay. Some days begin with sunshine and smiles. Some days begin with blood and tears. However, this was not the beginning of a day. This was the end of a day. And it felt like end of a great many things. With ice on the roads, darkness overhead, her hands coated in the blood of her boss, her friend and the man who would be her family one of these days soon. Hayley Marshall felt afraid that this might not be the beginning. This might be the end.

"Elijah!" Hayley shouted. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. She knew her training told her to stay calm. Wait for help. Wait. Just wait. Someone else would come down. She would not be trying to prevent the death of Kol Mikaelson all by herself. Soon. "E-li-jah!" she shouted, her voice coming out weaker, and weaker with each cry.

"Hayley!" Elijah's voice came from above.

A light shone down. Hayley had to place a hand over her eyes. It looked like they'd turned the ambulance around and were beaming the light down. "Elijah?"

"They're sending down help!" Elijah cried back. Now, she saw a figure she thought might be her fiancé. "Is Kol breathing?"

"No!" Hayley shouted back. She shook her head. He probably could not see her through the icy rain that had begun to come down, again. "I'm going to try CPR!" she shouted. Placing her hands on Kol's chest, she began to push up and down. Taking hold of Kol's chin, she titled his head back and then parted his lips. "Alright, Kol. This is the first and last time we're kissing," she muttered before diving down.

After a moment, Hayley pulled back and glanced at Kol's face. He showed no signs of life. Groaning, she began compressions again. "Come on, Kol!" she cried. "Elijah and I are getting married. You want to take Davina to the wedding, don't you?" She pressed her lips back to his breathing into his mouth and hoping that it was doing something.

Pulling back, Hayley began compressions and growled at Kol. "Don't you dare die on me! There is so much more you have to do! Okay? You want to date my sister? Go for it! Just live!"

"Hayley!" a voice called out.

Hayley's head lifted and she saw Davina coming toward her. "Oh, no!" she cried. She hurried over and knelt down beside Kol. "Is he…"

"Not yet!" Hayley cried. "Switch with me. I figure he'd rather be kissing you." She moved away from Kol's head and moved to continue compressions while Davina moved to sit behind Kol's head. Her wet fingers slid into his hair. Her words were swallowed up by the wind as she leaned close to his ear.

"Come on, Kol! Come on, you stubborn son of the bitch! You know none of us are going to be happy if you die on us! Who's going to fix the laugh lines of the rich and powerful of New Orleans? Who's going to help little babies with cleft palates and no money and the stupid board won't foot the bill for their surgeries? Who's going to keep your siblings from falling apart if they lose you?" Hayley shook her head.

"It's not working," Davina said. "I think his airway is constricted. But I can't see," Davina said. "My phone isn't working. Do you have a flashlight?"

"Not on me," Hayley shook her head. "Damn it!"

"I have a flashlight," Elijah came toward them and Hayley sighed in relief. He moved to kneel beside Davina. She scooted over and Elijah placed his pen-like flashlight over his brother's pale, saturated face and peered downward. "Good call, Davina," Elijah said soberly. He removed a scalpel.

"You travel with one those?" Hayley asked him.

Elijah glanced at her through his dripping hair. "I do."

"Good." Hayley watched as Elijah held out the scalpel to Davina.

Davina's eyes widened. "I can't. You'll have to do it."

"Davina Claire, Kol is my brother. I cannot perform the procedure. You must," Elijah said. "I have faith you can do this." He moved out of her way, still holding out the scalpel.

"I…" Davina looked from Hayley to Elijah. Her head was still shaking as she moved to take the scalpel and inhaled sharply. "I can't see."

Elijah held the flashlight for her to peer down Kol's throat while Hayley waited. If she had to, she would step in and pray she did not kill Elijah's youngest brother. No matter how many times the Mikaelsons screamed at each other or disavowed their relations, she knew the love they had for each other ran deep. If she killed Kol; it might be the true end to her relationship with Elijah.

"Okay," Davina sighed. She took the blade and made an incision. Hayley held her breath. Elijah removed a pen and held it out to Hayley. She quickly dismantled it to leave just a plastic tube. Handing it to her sister, she watched as Davina placed it to Kol's throat and inserted the make-shift tube. They waited until Kol's chest began to move up and down.

Letting out a shocked laugh, Davina looked at Hayley who nodded. Elijah had begun to smile, too. They only looked up when someone called from above, "We're sending medics down with a gurney!"

"Okay!" Hayley shouted back.

A fresh teams of medics came down with a gurney. They came running toward the little group. "You guys okay?"

"My brother's been impaled. He might have a head wound," Elijah told them. "Dr. Elijah Mikaelson. New Orleans Grace Hospital." He shook hands with one of the medics before the medics began to check Kol before deciding how they wanted to get him onto the gurney.

"You coming with us?" the medic who shook Elijah's hand asked.

"Yes," Elijah said with a nod. He looked at Hayley.

Hayley nodded. "Be careful." She hated the idea of Elijah being on these roads tonight, again. What if the ambulance tipped? She wanted to insist on going with him. But she knew they needed room in the ambulance to work. She and Davina could ride along with the ambo they'd come in. They'd be right behind Elijah and Kol.

"I love you," Elijah said. He kissed her quickly before he moved to follow the medics who called out to their co-workers to bring Kol up. They'd have to go up one-at-a-time. Until this storm ended, nowhere was safe and the sooner they were in a building; they would be safer. She hoped. However, this day was long from over. And it felt like anything could happen tonight.

_Elijah_

Holding his little brother's hand, Elijah cursed every argument, every misunderstanding, and every day that he kept Kol at arm's length for any foolishness his little brother had once gotten into. "Kol Mikaelson, you will not die. Do you understand me? I will not be explaining to our father, our mother, and our siblings that we were unable to save you. We love you. You understand that? Please, brother!" Elijah did not beg. Today, he would beg anyone, anything. He would offer everything he had. He would offer his own life.

Nothing. Kol's chest moved up and down, but he did not make a single sound. Fear filled Elijah. Every single second they'd spent of the last twenty-something years flashed through his mind. Too little time. Kol Mikaelson was not the type to die playing hero. He was the type to die during a stupid dare-devil incident that involved a pretty girl and a desire to impress her.

"Come now, Kol. You have a pretty girl to impress," Elijah joked, holding Kol's hand, his eyes flicking from his brother's vital signs to his brother's shut eyelids.

Kol still did not respond and Elijah muttered, "Damn it," as the ambulance pulled up at the doors of their hospital.

The moment the doors flew open, Elijah felt dread as he found Rebekah. She stood in a gown with a pair of gloves on her hands. Elijah had not bothered to call ahead of time. He did not want his family to panic.

"Elijah, you're back. About bloody time!" Rebekah cried, backing away and not bothering to look at the person on the gurney. "Father says we have at least two serious head traumas. Possibly three, if you count Tyler being bashed in the head with a door by Nik. Might have been on purpose." Her attention shifted as the paramedics began to move the gurney out of the ambulance. "What have we got?" she inquired.

"Rebekah!" Elijah's voice was sharp and her head snapped up. She peered at Elijah, her brows coming together and her lips pursing.

"Yes?" Rebekah retorted, moving toward the gurney. Elijah shot out of the ambulance and grabbed his sister by the shoulders. "Bekah, don't. You mustn't…"

"What?" Rebekah glanced over and she stilled. "Kol? Is that Kol? Elijah?" Her eyes moved back to Elijah. "Is that Kol?" Her eyes rounded as she watched the paramedics pushing Kol through the front doors. "Kol!" she shouted, trying to break away from Elijah's grip. "Let go of me!"

"Rebekah, Kol's injuries are serious. We need to remain calm as someone else works on him. Tell me you understand." Elijah watched Rebekah. She blinked in the cold and rain. "Rebekah?"

"Yes. I understand." Rebekah pulled away from Elijah. Her movements were stiff as she walked ahead of him and into the hospital.

Inside chaos reigned. There did not seem to be enough room for all of the wounded who sat in the lobby, waiting to be attended to. People were crying. Several were bleeding.

"Who's in charge?" Elijah demanded.

"Bonnie. Dr. Bennett. She's busy. Father sent her up to help with a surgery that Nik's in." Rebekah glanced at Elijah. "Nik… Nik doesn't know that Kol's…"

"Right." Elijah rubbed at his temples. With a quick shake of his head, Elijah turned to Rebekah, "Do you know where Father is?"

"Father is in surgery. I think…" Rebekah seemed to be somewhat confused.

"And Finn? Sage?" Elijah tried to think of all the family members who might run into Kol as he was treated.

"Don't think Kol's going to need a gynecologist." Finally Rebekah seemed to snap out of it. "Finn might be around here, somewhere. Do you want me to check?"

"Yes. Do that," Elijah said. "If you can stay calm, find a case and focus on that until someone can give us word on Kol."

Running a hand through his hair, Elijah caught sight of Josh Rouza going from patient to patient, trying to assess their injures. "Josh!" Elijah moved over to join Josh. "Do you know where Freya is?"

"She's been waiting for your patient to come in. She's in OR three." Josh stopped talking when Elijah groaned and turned away from him.

"Elijah!" Hayley's voice made Elijah stop in his tracks. She came running to stand by his side. "Is he…"

"He' going up to surgery. Apparently they were prepared for this to be surgical before he arrived. I ran into Rebekah and now I need to stop Freya from having one of the greatest shocks of her life."

"Right. Let's go." Hayley and Elijah made their way up to the staircase. "Is there anyone else who can jump in for her?" Hayley asked as they went up the stairs.

"Ordinarily there would be. But with all of the patients we're taking in tonight…" Elijah shook his head. "This is worst-case-scenario."

"Wonderful," Hayley muttered as they arrived on the surgical floor and hurried to the scrub room. Elijah hoped that Freya was not ready to go in. With any luck, Kol was still being prepped.

Darting into the scrub room, Elijah caught sight of Freya. She was masked and gloved. She had just entered the OR. "Freya!" Elijah shouted. He banged on the mirror to gain her attention.

Freya turned. Her brows went high and she marched over to the door. "Elijah, what are you doing? I have a man on my table whose lung might be fully collapsed."

"Stop talking," Elijah marched over to Freya and took her by her shoulders. "Freya, that man in there is Kol."

"What?" Freya shook Elijah off and moved to stand and stare through the glass. "No…" She turned to glance at Elijah and then Hayley. "What happened?"

"He was trying to help someone. Took a fall down the side of the hill. He landed on a branch or had one go through him. He was laying there for awhile exposed to the ice and rain. Davina had to do an in-field tracheotomy because he stopped breathing." Hayley seemed out-of-breath as she finished her summary.

"Shit." Freya shook her head. "I have to go in. We don't have another general surgeon. Marcel's working on another patient in OR two." She glanced at Elijah. "Unless we allowed one of the residents to do it."

"Not Lockwood," Elijah snapped.

"Caroline…" Freya looked uncertain.

"She's family now," Elijah said.

"Barely," Freya argued. "I can assist her and walk through whatever she needs to know."

"Caroline's more of the baby doc," Hayley added.

"Josh can do it," Davina's voice startled them. She was staring through the window. Her arms were crossed over her chest. She looked pale. "Get Josh. And Vincent. Vincent is better than any of the interns."

"Right." Freya nodded. "Hayley, with me. Elijah, I'll be back as soon as I can be."

Elijah nodded. Hayley moved closer and they both looked through the window at Kol. Hopefully they had the time to hunt down the team.

~0~

_Davina_

"This is where you would usually page them, but they might be too busy to answer?" Davina felt better when she was asking questions. She felt a need for knowledge at any other time, but right now she just wanted something to occupy her mind.

Freya gave a swift jerk of her head as they made their way down the stairs. Their fellow doctors and nurses went back past them and up the stairs.

"Yes. That is what we would usually do," Freya said. She stopped at the lobby doors and pushed them open. Davina followed right behind the older doc.

"Okay." Davina could not think of a better question to ask. She could not seem to think of any questions to ask except: "How was Kol? Will he make it?" But she knew it would be cruel to ask Freya that question. None of them knew. Davina knew by now that even if he made it through surgery there were a million complications that could arise. Better to keep quiet and search for the team.

"Josh!" Davina called, cupping her hands to her mouth.

Josh's head popped up. "Over here!" he called. Freya made her way to him with an intensity that would make Davina shudder if she did not know what the source of the anxiety came from.

"I think this patient needs a CAT scan," Josh said, flashing a pen flashlight in front of the woman's eyes. "She's got a blown pupil here and swelling here," he placed a light hand to the side of the woman's head.

"I'll inform Elijah. He's in OR three. Can you come with me?" Freya asked. She took hold of Josh's arm and took him a few feet away. "I want you to remain calm as I talk."

"O-kay," Josh let out a nervous laugh. "What's up?"

At the sight of Davina's dark look, Josh frowned but did not say anything. "Kol is in OR three. I can't perform his surgery. I need someone else to go for me. I would prefer for that person to be you," Freya said.

"What? Me? Perform surgery on Kol? Did you ask him first? Is this a joke?" Josh swallowed and let out another nervous laugh. "Can't, um, anyone else do it? Caroline?"

"Josh, you can do this," Davina said. "You have to."

"But…" Josh shook his head. "I don't know."

"Davina, will you try to track down Vincent while I work to convince Joshua. We'll be in the scrub room," Freya said, taking Josh by the wrist and tugging him toward the stairs.

Davina did not hesitate before she began to march through the lobby and headed for the ER. She figured that Vincent would be trying to help those with the severest injuries who could not be taken to an OR yet.

"Is Dr. Griffith down here?" Davina asked Genevieve when she saw the nurse carrying blood bags toward a closed curtain.

"He's two curtains down, trying to suture one hell of a leg wound," Genevieve said.

"Thanks," Davina called back. She made her way over to the curtain and ducked inside. "Vincent, we need you in OR three."

"I'm a little busy. But I should be free in a couple of minutes," Vincent replied.

Davina glanced at her watch. Coming closer, she saw that the man on the table needed several more stitches. She tried not to scream as Vincent continued his work. It was his infinite patience that was needed upstairs.

"Alright. That should do it. I will send a nurse by to let you know about what kind of at-home-care you will need." Vincent stepped outside of the curtain and folded his arms over his chest. "What's going on?"

"Kol Mikaelson is in OR three. He's the patient," Davina said as quietly as she could. "Freya can't work on him. Josh is going in. Can you scrub in and keep everyone calm?"

"Yes. Of course," Vincent said. He nodded and followed Davina through the ER and to the stair well.

Elijah was on the way down as they were on their way up. "Josh has begun," he said on his way past them. "I have a patient in the lobby. Please, keep me in informed, Griffiths."

"Will do," Vincent said as he and Davina made their way onto the surgical floor.

Davina stopped outside the scrub room. Hayley sat on the floor in the hallway. She had tears on her cheeks and Davina felt her heart stop for a moment. Her sister pushed herself to her feet. "Is he…" Davina could not bring herself to say the words.

"No. No," Hayley shook her head as Vincent went into the scrub room. "It's just… It's bad."

Davina felt her legs go out from under her. "Oh…" She caught herself thinking of a day when Kol asked her to get ice cream with him.

"_It's dribbling down everywhere!" Davina had cried, throwing her head back and laughing. _

"_It's just a little spill. Let me help you clean it up," Kol had offered, pretending to move to lick it up as Davina had dodged away, still laughing. _

Kol had seemed so full of life that day. He couldn't be dead. He would make it. He had to…

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, my lovely readers. We're very Mikaelson-centric in this chap. On with the show…**

Chapter 2: That Moment Between Heartbeats

_Klaus_

Whenever Klaus Mikaelson entered an OR he felt calmer. It was as if everything slowed down. The shining instruments. The bright light that kept him wide awake. The music in the background. Something classical. It always amused him to see Elijah's brows rise on the occasions they worked side by side because Klaus did not favor classical for every occasion in his social life. However, it felt appropriate to listen to the rise and fall of a crescendo while he worked. And there were very few things that ruined the experience for him. Tonight, two events would.

Peering at the impossibly tiny beating heart of a yet-to-be-born babe still in her mother's womb; Klaus went about the task of repairing an artery. Tiny babe and mother would be just fine. They'd survived the worst. Having been pulled from the wreckage of the multi-vehicle pile-up on a roadside. And now it was up to Klaus to put the babe back together.

"You will be fine, Adriana," Klaus said quietly. He liked to name the babies. It made them feel more real. He felt that in the naming of people their identity began to form. This little girl wanted to survive and Klaus wanted her to know someone wanted to see her be named, to grow and to play for many years.

Feeling a smirk forming under his mask, Klaus intended on closing the baby's open chest when the lights flickered. His eyes darted upward while his hands froze in their motions. "What the blasted hell?" he gritted out.

"A surge," Lucien Castle muttered, his eyes focused on Klaus' hands.

"A surge?" Klaus let out a bitter laugh. "Yes. I'm sure that is all." He inhaled and began to work with a renewed urgency. He did not have time to use the delicacy he preferred to use. _I'm sorry_, he muttered silently to the baby. Better that he closed her up quickly than she was left exposed in this manner.

With a sigh of relief, Klaus found that all he had to do was finish closing Adriana's mother, Cathy, and all would be well. Again, he moved to work through the less complicated portion of the procedure when the lights flickered. "Damn it!" Klaus growled out.

Then the lights gave one, last flicker and total darkness descended. "Wonderful!" Klaus snarled out. No one in the OR dared to speak up. "Someone make a call and make sure the generator is being turned on!" he shouted.

"Yes, sir!" one of the nurses called out.

Klaus groaned. This was all any of them needed. So many more patients to work on. He wanted to sit down. He wanted Caroline. Glancing around the darkened room; Klaus wondered why he hadn't asked her to scrub in with him. Ah, yes. His father had snatched her up and dragged her off to deal with his own patient. Probably thought Klaus would become distracted.

"They should be on soon," the nurse reassured Klaus. How wonderful. And in the meantime he had to worry about infection. "Find me a flashlight," Klaus said. "I'm finishing the close."

"Yes, sir," the nurse left the OR and Klaus rolled his shoulders. He took a few steps away from the table and tried to calm himself. Something he could not pinpoint was bothering him. It felt like a prickling just beneath his skin. A sixth sense. A warning.

"Here," the nurse came back in with a flashlight.

"Lucien, take that and hold it about here," Klaus held up his hand to where he wanted the intern to hold the flashlight. "And if you so much as flinch I will make sure you never see the inside of an OR again."

"Yes, Dr. Mikaelson." Lucien held the flashlight in the exact spot that Klaus had demanded that he hold it. Returning to his work, Klaus began to hum Mozart as he went about stitching the woman back together. He might have allowed Lucien to do it if this woman had not been through enough. She did not need an intern's fumbling at her tonight. And it kept Klaus' mind occupied.

"Done," Klaus remarked. He shot his team a grin that none of them could see thanks to his mask. "You may put the flashlight down now, Lucien."

"Yes." Lucien dropped his arm and began to rub his shoulder.

"Might also want to spend more time in the gym as well. If your shoulder is bothering you after that bit you'll surely regret what is to come," Klaus could not help teasing the intern. Unfortunately for Klaus, Lucien reminded him of his younger self. Klaus had been a cocky, arrogant intern until he'd killed a man his own age by clipping an arterial wall and had been unable to stop the bleeding of his patient. He'd found that working with babies was even more difficult. However, his failure had made him appreciate the fragility of a human life and he could think of no one more fragile than a child.

As time passed, Klaus excelled at the art of saving the smallest, most helpless of humans and it made him feel like he was balancing his failings as a human being in his personal life. Then he'd met Caroline who made him realize he was not a terrible man. A lonely, self-destructive man, but not a monster. Not someone who was not worthy of love and compassion.

The more he thought of his wife, the more Klaus longed to be in the same room as Caroline. "Thank you," he said to his team. "Good work everyone." He left the OR and took his mask off. Perhaps Mikael had finished with his work and Caroline might be free to help Klaus perform miracles tonight. The thought made him feel content.

"Klaus." As if she'd been thinking of him, too, Caroline stepped inside the OR. Klaus turned to his wife with a smile. However, his smile dropped the moment he noted the expression on Caroline's face. The fear and the anxiety. "Klaus…Kol's in OR three."

"What?" Klaus felt as if Caroline had used the paddles on him and a shock went through him.

"Klaus?" Caroline crossed the OR scrub room and put her arms around his shoulders. "Klaus." She pressed her face into his shoulder and he felt her body quiver.

It took a full minute for Klaus to realize that he was the one who was crying, not Caroline. His body shook, not hers. "We should go," Caroline whispered. "Come on."

Taking hold of Klaus' hand, Caroline coaxed him out of the scrub room and down the hall. Klaus entered the scrub room for OR three. Davina Claire sat on the floor. Her fists were balled at her sides. She was shaking and crying. When they caught sight of her, Klaus felt like he already knew the outcome. His eyes traveled into the OR and he felt his world coming apart.

_Rebekah _

"What the bloody hell is wrong with everyone in this bloody hospital?" Rebekah Mikaelson demanded as she wandered through the hospital. She shook her head as other doctors, nurses and patients stared at her in bewilderment.

Shaking her head, Rebekah felt rather annoyed. She'd stepped away from a patient only five minutes ago and she found she could not remember where she'd left the man. She'd traveled through the ER. Gone to three different floors. Checked out various rooms. And Rebekah could not find her patient.

"Rebekah?" Genevieve appeared in front of her. The red-head caught hold of Rebekah's arm as Rebekah attempted to bypass her.

"What?" Rebekah demanded. "I have a patient to attend to. Leave me alone."

"Rebekah!" Genevieve snapped, shaking Rebekah until Rebekah stared back at the nurse, pursing her lips and sighing.

"What?" Rebekah demanded. She tried to find her patience with the other woman. However, she really did need to find that man.

Genevieve led Rebekah into a room and closed the door. "I'll get you a scrub top. Don't go anywhere."

Blinking, Rebekah let out a humorless laugh. "Why would you need to get me a scrub top. This is perfectly clean." To emphasize her point, Rebekah reached down and connected with naked flesh. Her eyes went down and she registered that she'd been giving everyone quite the show. Topless, but, thankfully, not braless, Rebekah had been wandering the hallway and floors looking for her patient. "How did I manage that?" she whispered.

"I think you're probably in shock," Genevieve said. "Did something happen that you can recall?" She stood in the doorway, a look of concern on her face and Rebekah shook her head. She could not think of a single thing that had happened in the last five hours that would distress her to this extent.

"No." Rebekah shook her head. "I did lose a patient though…"

"Alright." Genevieve nodded. "I'll get you a top and then we'll look for your patient." She left the room and Rebekah sat down on the surprisingly empty bed. Weren't all of the beds being used?

Clasping her hands together, Rebekah felt like she'd lost time. Something felt wrong. Something was off. She just couldn't put her finger on what it was. The storm began. Chaos. Elijah left with Hayley and Davina. Bloody patients. Terrified patients. Small children whose parents were missing or dead. Screaming. Crying. Bonnie trying to control the chaos. And her patient. He'd come in and then disappeared. Why couldn't she remember what had become of him?

"Here!" Genevieve came back into the room with a scrub top and a vending machine coffee. "I figured it was either this or I give you a shot of adrenaline and we're not that desperate, yet." Her joke fell flat because Rebekah could not concentrate on the words that Genevieve used.

"I'm sorry. What?" Rebekah took the top and pulled it over her head. Tugging the hairband she'd used to keep her hair in a ponytail out, Rebekah concentrated on the process of pulling her hair back.

"Coffee?" Genevieve held out the steaming cup to Rebekah.

"Oh? Thank you." Rebekah took the cup. She did not make a habit of hanging out with nurses. And she had other things to do than to sit around sipping coffee. "If you'll excuse me."

"Rebekah. I'm not letting you leave this room until you drink that." Genevieve said, her hands were on her hips and Rebekah let out a scoff.

Shaking her head, Rebekah could not believe Genevieve's audacity. "You know that I am a doctor. You have no rights over me."

"I can report to your father that you are endangering yourself and others. You're obviously in shock for some reason. Now, you can either let me help you or…" Genevieve watched Rebekah closely.

Sighing, Rebekah blew on the top of the coffee. "Fine."

After a moment Genevieve relaxed. "Do you remember anything about your patient? Was he tall? Hair color? Clothes he wore? Anything special about him? Anything that stuck out? Like a hammer? Did he have a hammer protruding from someplace?"

Snorting, Rebekah took another sip of her coffee. "No. I don't think he had an object—of any kind—protruding from any part of him." She tilted her head to the side. "He… I don't recall anything about him. I just know that he is my patient. And he's wandered off or someone took him."

"We could look up your patient records. See who you've worked on. That might help." Genevieve's words came to Rebekah from some place far away.

"Perhaps," Rebekah said. She did not feel as sure. What if she had not had time to make a record? What if he'd wandered back into the storm? What if he were dead because of her negligence? Rebekah cupped her still warm coffee as she slid off the bed and Genevieve led her out of the room.

Wandering down the hall, Rebekah spotted Marcel moving toward an elevator. She wanted to call out to him but some part of her decided it would be best to work on her mystery.

Going down the stairs, Genevieve led the way and Rebekah followed her like a dutiful child. They stopped by the front desk. "Can I see the records for Dr. Rebekah Mikaelson's patients?" Genevieve asked the nurse on the desk.

A spark of a memory came to Rebekah. Her feet propelled her toward the sliding doors of the hospital's front entrance. She walked over and stepped outside. "Rebekah!" Genevieve called out as the doors slid closed.

Rebekah blinked as the cold, icy rain pelted her bare skin. "I know who the patient is," she said. Her eyes stared into the darkness as she saw the ambulance roll up. She saw the paramedics come out. She saw her brother's face. Kol. Her patient was Kol Mikaelson. Her patient was her older brother. She'd spent hours trying to track him down now.

"It's Kol. It's Kol," Rebekah broke down. Her knees going out from under her and she knelt in the freezing rain and sobbed.

_Freya_

Standing inside the OR, Freya Mikaelson could feel her pulse racing. Her eyes stayed on Josh Rouza. Her brother's blood coated the young resident's gloves. He'd shown no sign of fear since taking the scalpel and making the first incision but something could always go wrong. And Freya was waiting for something to go wrong.

_Come on, Josh_, Freya whispered. She did not dare interrupt him. So long as his primary focus remained on Kol, things should be fine. However, Freya could still feel her nerves shattering. She wanted to look at the gallery. If their father stood there, Freya thought she might lose her calm demeanor. Best not to look up. Best not to look around for any sign of a familiar face outside of the OR room. Best to wait for Josh to finish up.

As Freya stared at the bloodied instruments which worked to coax pieces of wood from her brother's insides, she felt a hand go to her own and fingers slip between her own. Finally breaking her concentration; Freya glanced to her left to find Vincent Griffith. He held her hand and she felt the urge to break down and cry.

As an intern, Vincent had to wait for an opportunity to jump in and help a more experienced surgeon on a case. His duty in this moment was to observe the procedure that Josh worked through right now. And in this moment Freya was in the exact same position. She was family. She meant to stand in the lobby and wait. She was breaking all the rules. And she didn't care. And if it weren't for Vincent holding her hand; she might just stop breathing.

"He'll be okay," Vincent said softly. His eyes were still on Josh but his words were meant for Freya's ears. "I may be new at this, but I can see. Kol will be fine. Josh is fine. You will be fine."

Freya nodded, inhaling and refusing to break down. She hadn't felt like the ground beneath her feet had erupted since Jack's death. Just the thought of her dead boyfriend made her feel a little unsteady. The hand-holding helped. Something solid. Someone to ground her.

"We are fine," Freya repeated. She nodded. Her eyes lifted and she caught sight of the scrub room window. Niklaus. Rebekah. Elijah. Hayley. Caroline. Davina. They'd all gathered to watch. Inhaling, Freya looked back at Kol. She squeezed Vincent's hand before she made her way across the floor.

Freya knelt down beside her little brother. Placing a gentle hand on his head, she leaned close to his ear. "Kol? I do hope that you can hear me, brother. Elijah is here. Niklaus. Rebekah. We're all here. Your family is here. We are waiting for you to make it through this. You are so strong. So loved. Even when you're being a pain in the ass." Chuckling, Freya wished he could open his eyes. She reached out and pressed her hand to his. "Be brave, little brother. Come home to us."

~0~

Surgery completed, Freya stepped into the scrub room before anyone else. She removed her mask and looked at her family. "I think he'll be okay. But we have to wait…" They were all doctors. They knew what could happen.

Elijah came over and pressed her into a hug while Hayley placed a hand on Freya's shoulder.

The door opened behind Freya and she spotted Niklaus going right past her. She turned her head to view Niklaus throw his arms around Josh and hug him tightly. "Thank you, Joshua."

Josh looked shocked, his eyes on Caroline as he patted Klaus on the back. "Sure. I mean…" Josh stopped talking as Caroline held up her hands and moved to hug him, too. Soon Davina joined them.

Feeling a smile appear on her face as she wiped tears off her cheeks, Freya inhaled sharply. "Has anyone informed Father? Or Mother?"

"No. And no," Rebekah said. She looked rather pale.

"Right." Freya nodded. "Well, I suppose I will call Mother and make sure someone with some sense will bring her here. Elijah…"

"Yes. I'll tell him," Elijah said, taking Hayley's hand and moving to the door.

"Someone should tell Finn," Rebekah muttered.

"And Sage," Caroline added. She looked at the Mikaelsons. "She's family, too."

"Of course," Freya nodded. She watched as her siblings made their way out of the scrub room to go and inform various family members and to attend to patients.

Josh stopped to clean up and chat with Davina when Vincent came into the scrub room. "Griffith," Freya said as he moved to a sink. "Thank you. For being there." She watched him closely.

"I did what I would hope someone would do for me; if I had a family member in your situation." Vincent lifted his dark eyes to meet hers. Freya inhaled and offered him a quick smile in return. "I have to call my mother. Inform her of Kol's…condition."

"Right." Vincent nodded. "I'll be in the ER, if you need anything."

"Right. Well… Thank you, again." Freya forced herself to turn and leave the scrub room. She needed to call her mother and to see where she was needed. She knew that over the next couple of days she and her family would be dividing their time between their patients and checking in on Kol. It would be chaotic. It would be stressful. But if Kol turned out to be okay, it would be worth every stress-filled moment.

Going into the hallway, Freya pulled out her cell phone. She listened to it ring before a brief pause and then: "Hello?"

"Mother," Freya paused.

"Freya? Are you alright?" Esther's voice held an edge. Freya suspected her mother already knew something was wrong. Some sort of parental instinct.

"I'm okay, Mom," Freya leaned back against the wall, her eyes on the ceiling. "But…there was an accident. Kol… He was trying to help someone and he was injured—"

"Oh, my God!" Esther's words cut Freya off before she could continue. "Tell me, is he…"

"He was taken to surgery. I was there the entire time. There is a skilled young man you can credit for a very thorough job of saving Kol's life. Right now, Kol is being moved to recovery. He's still under anesthesia, so he's not awake yet. I thought you might want me to call someone and have them come and get you."

"I'm on my way now." Esther hung up before Freya could utter another word. Closing her eyes, Freya hoped that their mother would get there in one piece. Her siblings might kill her if their mother was the next one of the operating table.

**Thank you for reading, faving, liking and reblogging. **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, my lovely readers. We're finally going to find out what happens to Kol while furthering a couple of other plots bunnies. On with the show…**

Chapter 3: On the Days When You Wake Up and Everything is Different

_Bonnie_

Sometimes Bonnie Bennett wondered why she got up in the morning. She went to work. She tried to make a difference in the world. Sometimes she did. And sometimes she felt like every little deal she made with her maker to ensure a good outcome for a patient was just in her head. Maybe no one was listening. Maybe she just liked to tell herself that there was a reason she went to med school and worked so damned hard to help people. Maybe it was just one cosmic joke.

Icy water dripped off the roof of her hospital and Bonnie sipped at a hot chocolate. It was cold out here. But she preferred to be out here than to be in there. In there, people kept talking about her ex, Kol Mikaelson's near-death, and the possibility that his near-death might turn into actual death-death.

Shaking her head, Bonnie tried not to shiver too much. Her coat simply did not make her warm enough right now.

"Avoiding the popular gossip for the day?" a voice startled her and Bonnie jumped, her hot cocoa trying to spill on her chilly fingers. Might be welcome given how she felt right now. A nice, little shock to the system to get the blood flowing.

Bonnie turned her head. "Good morning, Dr. Walters."

Philip Walters shot Bonnie one of those smiles that made so many women at the hospital go into a fit of giggles or made them gooey puddles on the floor. "I told you to call me: Phil, Bonnie. No need for courtesy with me. I'm not Mik."

"Mik?" Bonnie felt confused.

"Mikael," Phil looked amused as Bonnie remembered that Phil and Mikael were friends from their intern days.

"Oh, yes." Bonnie nodded. She looked at the hospital. "Did you go to see him yet?" She wanted news. She wanted someone else to say: "Yes. I went to see Kol. He's out of bed. Dancing down the hallways and making jokes and trying to get slapped with a harassment suit. Same old Kol."

"No." Philip shook his head. "Guess that Tiff… Tiffany Marshall. She went to see Kol. She and Essy—Esther Mikaelson. They used to be close. Tiff went in for moral support." His eyes went to his feet and Bonnie saw an unreadable expression pass over his feet before he brightened. "Glad to know I'm not the only one avoiding. Tell me, Bonnie, why are you?"

"Oh, well…" Bonnie shook her head. "I…"

"You have a passionate affair with my best friend's kid. Right?" Phil grinned at Bonnie who felt her cheeks flush. "Yup. I knew it. What went wrong?"

"I'd prefer not to talk about it." Bonnie shook her head and turned away to look up and into the glaring sunlight. What ended her relationship with Kol was Bonnie's finding out that she had a cancer which left her not knowing if she could have a child and facing the possibility that she might have a much more limited time on the planet than she'd planned for. If she could not handle the news, she'd hated the thought of how Kol might handle it; so she decided to explore the nuclear option and ended things before they went too far.

"Were you in love with him?" Phil asked. "Not that it's my business. Just making conversation."

"Yes." Bonnie nodded. A tear began to run down her cheek and she wiped it off with a quick brush of her hand. "I loved him. I will always love him. But I do not love him like that. Anymore."

"Ah." Phil nodded. "Since we're sharing, I might as well offer my own confession, you know, to even out the playing field." He paused and Bonnie glanced up at him. "Hayley Marshall and Davina Claire. They're my daughters. With Tiff…Tiffany. We had an affair. A long, long, long affair. And her husband didn't really like that. So he made her send our girls into the adoption system. She managed to pull Hayley out. But Davina… I suppose I could have stuck around and tried to bring my girl home. Make sure she had one of her parents. But I've always been a guy who picks up and goes. Not much of a life for a kid. Is it?" He glanced at Bonnie who continued to watch him. "Now, I have a lot of catching up to do. I have a lot of trying to make amends for being a terrible person and a terrible parent."

Still watching Phil, Bonnie did not speak. "Let's say we make a deal. If I'm willing to try to talk to my girls today, you'll pop in and check on Kol for both of us?" Phil held out a hand to Bonnie.

Bonnie looked down at the extended hand. Her heart banged around in her chest before her own hand rose and she took his. The handshake lasted a little longer than it needed to. Their eyes locked and Bonnie felt the desire to throw her arms around Phil's neck and to kiss him. But he was her boss. She did not do that kind of thing, even if half the hospital did.

"Alright." Phil turned toward the hospital. "On three. One. Two."

"Three." Bonnie took a step forward and she looked to Phil who took a step toward the hospital, too. It felt so much better not to be alone anymore.

Phil opened the door and Bonnie stepped inside. She forced herself to go to the bank of elevators while Phil headed for the staircase. She forced herself to take a deep breath as the doors swooshed open for her. Entering the for-once-empty-elevator, Bonnie wanted to jump back out but she hit the button for the floor where recovery wing lay.

Number five lit up before the doors slid open. A group of people waited for Bonnie to exit the elevator. She sighed and continued toward the room number she'd heard on so many of her co-workers lips: 5030. Peering through the small window, Bonnie saw no one else there and felt a kind of relief fill her. Good. She could do this and go.

Entering the room, Bonnie moved to stand over Kol. She'd mused over a scene like this before. Only in the old scenarios she lifted a pillow and smothered Kol for being a jackass. However, seeing the man who used to brim with life attached to all these monitors and who was sleeping so peacefully, Bonnie felt her eyes fill up. Fingers going to clutch Kol's Bonnie took a seat on the chair next to his bedside.

"Hi," Bonnie said quietly. "I'm sorry it took me so long to show up at your party. But I'm here now." She wiped away a fat tear and squeezed his hand. "No one hosts a party like Kol Mikaelson." She laughed and glanced at his unmoving face. "Come on, man? What are you waiting for? You're wasting time. Get up!"

Kol did not respond. "Kol, we miss you…" Bonnie laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes, wishing he'd make a stupid joke so she could smack him and they could go back to being friends. She really missed her friend and if he just woke up, she might even tell him so.

_Josh_

On the first day after the surgery that kept Kol Mikaelson alive, Josh Rouza came back to his hospital to a hero's welcome. "There he is!" Klaus came down the stairs with a wide smile on his face. He caught Josh by the shoulders. "Good morning, Dr. Rouza!"

Josh had blinked. During his intern year Klaus kind of made Josh's life a living hell. Well, Klaus made all the interns' lives a living hell, but he took a special delight in torturing Caroline and Josh. He also picked on Rebekah, but she was Klaus' sister; everyone expected that. Tyler got his fair share of the Niklaus Mikaelson temper tantrum experience. Jack took it all in stride. And Hayley would blow off steam by…spending "quality time" with Elijah—but no one was supposed to know about it.

Klaus' sudden kindness toward Josh made Josh feel happy and scared shitless. What if something happened to Kol and Klaus blamed Josh for it? What if Kol woke up but he wasn't his old Kol self and Klaus blamed him for it? What if Kol woke up and told everyone that Josh had done a horrible job because Kol could hear Josh's teeth chattering as he tried to work through how to go about removing bits of tree and not ending this surgery with Kol on the transplant list?

"Josh!" Caroline appeared at Josh's other side.

Josh wondered how Caroline had gotten there. "Got you a muffin and a latte," Caroline said, laying her head on Josh's shoulder. "You have a big day ahead of you."

"I do?" Josh gulped. "Why? What did I do?"

"You're the new Hot Doc here," Klaus replied as he moved toward the stairs and Caroline hooked an arm through Josh's propelling him toward the staircase. Josh did not want to go up the stairs. He was afraid of where the stairs might lead him.

They stopped on the second floor. Klaus led the way down the hall to a group of attendees. "Right. Which of you would like him on your service today?"

"I called dibs!" Freya held up a hand. She offered Josh a kind smile. "Don't worry. It's a simple appendectomy today."

"Really?" Josh felt relieved. He'd been half worried that Marcel would have won out. He'd ask Josh to perform a double heart transplant on a pair of Siamese twins. Or Elijah would have a brain tumor covering half a patient's brain that he wanted Josh to help him remove. Worse yet, Elijah wanted Josh to remove the tumor all by himself.

A simple appy. Cool. That made Josh grin in relief. He took the coffee from Caroline. "Do I have time for a quick breakfast?"

"Of course," Freya said. "I was planning on grabbing something from the vending machine."

"You can have half my muffin," Josh offered. He took the muffin from Caroline. "It's…" He peered at the muffin and tried to figure out which kind she'd gotten him.

"Bran," Caroline said.

"Yup. Love you, Care. See you later." Josh happily followed Freya down the hall.

~0~

During lunch, Josh could not believe how well his day was going. "Baby, I'm telling you, you would not believe how easy surgery felt today. I was in the zone."

Aiden's wide eyes trailed over Josh's face. A little smile played at the corners of his lips as he held Josh's hand on top of the table. "So, it looks like being thrown into the deep end of the pool helped you gain your confidence."

"Looks that way." Josh could not feel happier in that moment.

"No! I do not want to go to the Father-Daughter dance!" Hayley shouted from the other side of the cafeteria, shaking her yogurt at her Father who looked a little dismayed. "Leave me alone!"

Hayley shook her head and then spotted Josh and Aiden. She stomped over to their table and plopped down. "He is unbelievable." She sighed. "So, how is your day going?"

"Josh is a mega-star," Aiden replied, placing his head on Josh's shoulder.

Hayley grinned. "That's good." Then she opened her yogurt. "Has anyone seen Bekah today?"

"No. Why?" Josh asked, frowning.

Hayley paused. "I called her. Texted. Nothing. Dead silence. I asked Elijah if he'd heard from her since yesterday. Nothing. Looks like she walked out of the hospital and hasn't been back since your finished Kol's surgery."

Feeling all of his happiness dissolving, Josh pulled out his phone and dialed Rebekah's number. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. "Hello. This is Rebekah Mikaelson."

"Bekah. It's Josh—"

"I'm currently in the process of saving lives or taking a well-deserved nap." Rebekah's answering machine stated in a robotic tone.

Rolling his eyes, Josh looked at Hayley. "She's still not answering."

"I'm going home after work and if she won't answer her door, I will use the screwdriver to take a door off," Hayley announced before plunging a spoon into the bottom of her cup and then took a big bite of yogurt.

And the day had begun so well.

_Kol_

Never had Kol Mikaelson ever foreseen himself as a patient in his own hospital. He'd seen so many people come and go. He'd seen smiles on the faces of those he'd been able to help. He'd seen wailing family members after poor Klaus had to work on their tiny babies. He'd seen Elijah blood spattered and defeated. He'd seen Sage knock so many dislocated shoulders back into sockets. Seen Finn do whatever it was Finn did all day. And Freya figure out how to mend the un-mendable.

So many little triumphs. Now, Kol laid in a hospital bed. He could not open his eyes to stare at the people who drifted in and out of his room. He could not open his mouth to speak to them. He could not hold his own mother's hand as she cried into his shoulder.

Never. Never had Kol Mikaelson ever felt so utterly useless and powerless. It was a terrible feeling. He found himself with newfound respect for his poor patients.

"Kol?" Davina's voice. "Kol. I hope you can hear me." He felt her hand slide into his. "I wanted to come by and to see how you are." A pause. "They say there haven't been any changes. But I don't think that's true. I think maybe you're going to open your eyes today. Just a little wink…"

Kol willed himself to open his eyes. "Open! Open! Open, damn you!" he shouted at himself. "Blasted hell!"

"Come on, Kol! We're all waiting for you to wake up!" Davina cried. He could hear the smile in her voice. Every part of him wished for nothing more than to be able to reach out and to cup her face. He promised himself that once he could speak again, and not sound like a bloody idiot, that he would tell this girl that he was madly in love with her.

"Kol, your family misses you." Davina said quietly. He felt her fingers stroke his hair. "I miss you."

"I miss you, too!" Davina whispered in his ear. Kol felt his heart begin to pound. The sound of his heart rate monitor picked up. Oh, yes, darling. Yes, you are correct. There are changes. Just yesterday I was sleeping so soundly. Now, I can hear all of you. I can feel you. I can wish myself out of this blasted bed.

"Is everything alright, doctor?" a nurse's voice called.

"Yes. He's fine. But his heart rate picked up. That's a good sign. It means he'd listening to me." Again, Kol heard a smile in Davina's voice as her hand slipped out of his. He wished she would stay where she was. His blasted fingers would not grasp her hand and keep her near.

Groaning internally, Kol stared at the inside of his eyelids. No, he glared at the inside of his eyelids. If he worked up enough energy, perhaps he could manage a scream.

Then Davina's hand slid back into Kol's and sweet relief poured through him. "Okay, Kol. Can you raise your heart rate for me, again?" Davina asked him.

Kol thought about that. It would not take much. Just the fantasy of her body pressed to his. Their lips crushed together. His fingers sliding through her long, dark locks. She was far too good for him but he did not care. He loved her. He loved her and right now it hurt. The very thought of never being able to tell her or to kiss her…

"Wake up, Kol!" Davina called. Her lips brushed his ear. Yes. She actually did that. "Wake up, please! For me!" Her hand went to his chest. It stopped over his heart. "I know you're in love with me. So, please, just wake up and tell me. I want to hear you say the words…"

Inhaling, Kol willed his eyes open. He willed his fingers to rise. Just a fraction. Show some bloody life, will you? Nothing. A whole world of nothing that left Kol wanting to pick up the first thing he could take hold of and toss it across the room. However, he could not pick anything up which meant his desires were futile.

Davina squeezed Kol's hand. "You can hear me, Kol. I know you can hear me. I know you know I'm here. Just show me. Show me you're with us." Another squeeze.

Kol remembered Davina's sparkling eyes. Her sweet laugh. Her fiery defiance when Hayley froze her out upon their first meeting. The way she stretched her short stature during rounds and how her hand would stay so straight as she waited for a resident or attendee to pay attention to her question or answers. Her kindness. Her devotion to her friends.

There were so many tiny things that Kol wanted to tell Davina Claire that he had noticed about her. So many times he'd watched her curl over a textbook. A pen tapping on a notebook. Her ponytail would bob as she worked through the materials. When her eyes glowed above her mask in the OR. Her chest rising and falling as she dreamed in the on-call room. Perhaps he should skip telling her he used to pop in to watch her sleep. That could come later. Perhaps after their fifth wedding anniversary. Or after children…

None of that would happen if he did not open his eyes. Kol felt his frustration mounting. Why wouldn't his body follow his commands? Did Josh screw up in the OR? Freya should have done the surgery. Bloody resident.

Feeling the desire to roll his eyes; Kol felt something. Such a small tick. No one would notice. However, Kol noted it. Kol noted the feeling of his eyes ticking just the tiniest bit upward. Had he gone mad? Did it really happen? Willing all of his energy into the motion, Kol waited and felt his eyes tick upward once again. He thought he would smirk if he could use the same will to force his lips to do the same thing.

"Dr. Claire. I'm sorry to bother you. But Dr. Walters is requesting your service," the nurse from before called.

What? No! Not bloody Not-His-Biological-Uncle, Uncle Phil. What did he want? Other than his daughter's attention. Could he wait until Kol woke up?

"You would have to discuss the matter with him." The nurse did not add anything else.

"Okay." Davina groaned. "Kol, I'll be back soon." She pressed a kiss to Kol's cheek.

Feeling Davina's hand move from his, Kol felt the desire to scream, again. He could hear the nurse beginning to check his vitals and to change his IV drip. Using all of his frustration, Kol let out a long sigh and a light suddenly flooded his field of vision. He let out another groan and his eyes went to his hand. Lifting it the tiniest bit, he banged on the side of the bed.

"Dr. Mikaelson!" the nurse cried, whirling around. "You're awake?"

Kol pulled off the oxygen mask and crooked a finger at the woman. She leaned over him and he whispered. "Get her back here! Right bloody now!" Then he sent all of his anger into his eyes and the nurse straightened up. "And ice chips," he croaked out.

The nurse hurried out of the room and Kol felt his lips lift in a smirk, although it did take a lot of effort.

**Thank you for reading, favong, following and reviewing. **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello, my lovely readers. Romance develops and friendship endures. On with the show…**

Chapter 4: The Waiting Game

_Vincent_

Textbook open across his knees, Vincent Griffith tried to maintain his focus. While most of his fellow interns had forgotten that they were to study for their residency exams, Vincent felt it necessary to double down on his good study habits. No one else would carry him through this program. He knew he had to look out for his interests—in that aspect. However, his fellow interns seemed to be more interested in the hospital gossip surrounding the case of Dr. Kol Mikaelson. If they failed their exams, Vincent would not be shocked.

"A nurse said he's been flipping her the bird when her back was turned," Lucien Castle said. He leaned against the wall in the basement hallway where they liked to take breaks or study.

"Nah. He's grabbing her butt," Oliver Kenner replied with a light laugh. "Man. Everyone knows that Kol has a way with the ladies."

"A way that will get him sued," Vincent put in. He flipped a page in his textbook and continued to read up on contagious diseases. "Lucien, what are five symptoms that a patient has when he has the malaria virus?"

Lucien's head whirled and he smirked at Vincent. "Oh, Vince? Do you want me to play with you?" He chuckled, glancing at Oliver. "We all miss Davina. Perhaps she'll drop by and you can quiz her instead." Turning back to Oliver, Lucien took a tennis ball and flung it at Oliver's head.

"Hey, man! Not cool." Oliver tossed the ball back. "So, you think Kol's going to make it. I mean… If he doesn't that means we'll get a new attendee and they could be a real hard-ass."

The tennis ball went back and forth and Vincent continued trying to ignore his fellow interns in the same manner they were ignoring their careers. "I don't think it is the right time to be discussing that subject," he found himself saying, unable to prevent himself from answering.

Scoffing, Lucien began to bounce the tennis ball off the wall a foot from Vincent's head. "When would you like to discuss it?" he inquired. "After Mikaelson stops breathing or when the new attendee comes in and decides we're not making the grade. The next thing we all know we're working on trying to get into a new program."

Pausing, Lucien chuckled. "At least I had the best night of my young life not so long ago."

"With who?" Oliver inquired.

"A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell," Lucien retorted with a gleam in his eye. "Let's just say that a certain general surgeon knows her way around a human body."

"Freya Mikaelson?" Oliver hooted, bending over with laughter as Lucien sent the tennis ball flying toward the brick wall.

Hand snapping outward, Vincent took the piece of green felt and launched it at Lucien's head. The other intern let out a cry when the ball slammed into his nose. "Bloody hell, Vincent!" he cried out.

Oliver had choked on his laughter. He looked from Vincent to Lucien. "Man, you're bleeding."

"Am I?" Lucien placed his hand to his nose. "Bloody hell." He raised his blue eyes to glower at Vincent. "Looks as if someone is jealous." He sneered before shaking his head. "Too bad you're the type who girls don't fancy. Nose in your book all day and night long. Can't even dance with a girl. Why do you suppose she went with me that night?"

"Enough!" Lucien's cheeks flushed and his head spun to take in a very unhappy-looking Freya Mikaelson.

"Lucien. You should go upstairs and allow someone to look at your nose." Freya glowered at Lucien until he moved past her. He stopped for a moment but said nothing when she stared him into silence.

"Oliver?" Freya turned to Oliver. "I believe Josh has something for you to do."

"He's not my resident," Oliver said. When Freya simply stared back at him, his shoulders fell. "Yes, ma'am." He hurried away.

When they were alone, Freya moved to stand beside the gurney Vincent was sitting on. "Nice shot. With the tennis ball. I could use someone with those kinds of skills on my next surgery." She offered Vincent a smile.

Not wanting to argue with her, Vincent decided to change the subject. "How is Kol doing?"

Freya looked at the wall a couple of inches from Vincent's face. Her mouth worked up and down and her eyes clouded as she struggled with how to respond. "I honestly don't know. That's why I came down here. I was hoping to find a way of distracting myself until Kol wakes up…" If he wakes up, hung in the air.

Nodding, Vincent patted the spot beside him. "I'm studying for my residency exams. If you'd like to help…"

A smile appeared on Freya's face. "Already?" She let out a quiet laugh as she slipped onto the gurney beside him. "And just yesterday you'd appeared as a bright and shiny new intern. How time passes us by." She held out her hands and Vincent handed her his textbook. "Would you like me to quiz you?"

"Sure." Vincent tried not to pay attention to how easy and natural all of this felt. Since his wife ran off five years ago, and had not been seen or heard from since, Vincent had peace with being a bachelor for the rest of his life. He found a certain peace in having only himself to care for.

Looking at Freya Mikaelson, feeling her thigh brush his own as she flipped through the pages of his book; Vincent felt his heart warming. A brief image of a happy life with her by his side—or him by hers, depending on how you looked at things—came unbidden into his mind. She turned her sparkling eyes to his and Vincent tried to bury the feelings down deep.

The moment ended when a nurse came running toward them. "Dr. Mikaelson!" she called.

"What is it?" Freya's head whipped around as she turned to take in the out-of-breath young woman.

"It's Kol. He's… He's… He's…" the nurse tried to catch her breath.

"Yes?" Freya's body had stiffened as she slid off the gurney. Vincent slipped off, too, and took her hand, holding it tightly.

"He's awake!" The nurse burst into tears, a laugh followed the ebb of water. "Kol. Dr. Mikaelson. Your brother, he's awake."

"He's awake?" Freya began to slip to the floor when Vincent caught her by the waist. She turned her body to face his, pressing her face into his shoulder. "He's awake."

"I know. You should go." Vincent said.

"I should. I am." Freya had begun to laugh and cry, too. "Do the rest of the family members know?" she questioned the nurse as they hurried away.

"We're working on notifying them," the nurse said.

Vincent leaned down and picked up his textbook. He sat back down and found he could not understand a word on the page.

_Tiffany_

Sitting in the cafeteria, Tiffany contemplated the cup of Greek strawberry yogurt. She needed to keep her strength up. Not eating would not kill the disease that worked to ravage her body.

Her eyes went up and she took in the sight of her old best friend, Essy. No, Esther Mikaelson. Her long blonde locks were pulled back into a severe ponytail. Her smiling eyes had crow's feet now. She had little frown lines. The girl who Tiffany knew was gone. She'd been replaced by the wife of the head of this hospital and the mother of a young man who may or may not recover from surgery. Time would tell.

"They call this a hamburger?" Philip Walters made his way over to the table with Mikael Mikaelson. "I've seen better fare at Burger King."

"We're not a three-star Michelin restaurant." Mikael took a seat next to his wife and took her hand.

Esther stared unhappily at her fruit salad and not because they did not have pear instead of kiwi in it. "What if he doesn't make it, Mikael?" she whispered.

"Kol's a fighter. Always has been." Philip's words made Tiffany and Esther exchange a look as Philip took a bite of his burger. "Not as bad as it looks." He glanced at Tiffany when no one said anything. "Want a bite?" he asked her, shoving his burger into her face.

"Dear God, Phil. Have you learned no self-control in all these years?" Tiffany waved the burger away and pushed down a wave of nausea. Damn medications.

"Will he ever?" Mikael quipped.

Chuckling, Phil shrugged. "All of you used to be like that. What happened to you?"

"We grew up, Peter Pan." Tiffany took the spoon for her yogurt and dipped it further into the cup. Even the sight of the tiny bits of strawberry made her sick. She gave up and pushed the cup away.

Phil did not seem to notice. He dipped a French fry in ketchup and took a big bite. "Also not bad."

"He should be awake by now. Don't you think?" Esther asked. Her eyes wandered across the room.

Tiffany's gaze moved to a group of young doctors who had just come into the room. Interns. Davina was not with them. If Tiffany knew her daughter, she was in upstairs, visiting with Kol, or she was trying to busy herself. Perhaps she'd gone home. Was Hayley here? Tiffany looked at Phil who had gone back to attacking his burger. Would he know? Did she dare ask?

"Sometimes it take longer for a patient to wake up," Mikael was saying when Tiffany returned to the conversation. His eyes were not on his wife but had gone to the window behind them.

Tiffany knew that Mikael had been working through the numbers. What was the probability that his son would wake up? Would he truly be Kol? Would there be brain damage? Would he be able to live like he had in the past? How long would it take for him to regain use of his usual functions? Who would care for him?

Esther's eyes filled up. Tiffany reached across the table and took hold of her friend's hand. "He will make it." This broke all of the rules they'd learned as doctors. Do not make promises. You waited. You hoped. You did not promise anything. Ever.

Focusing on Tiffany, Esther's chin jutted outward. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Tiffany replied. She sat back in her seat. "Unlike some of us I don't give up on patients."

Phil choked on the two fries he'd just shoved in his mouth. "Excuse me!" he cried. "Are you referring to—"

Holding up a hand, Tiffany cut him off. "The time you and Mik were working that case with the fisherman who almost drowned. You pronounced him dead. I came in and found him wide awake."

"It was a mistake!" Phil cried.

A sudden burst of laughter made them both turn to see Esther wiping tears out of the corners of her eyes. "You'd declared time of death. Placed a sheet over him. I half-expected a toe-tag already. When Tiffany screamed, I came running to find Tiffany had fallen on her behind and was pointing at the man: 'But… But… But… You're dead!'"

"I did not scream. Nor did I fall down!" Tiffany retorted drily. A little smile played at the corners of her mouth. "And it was Halloween."

"You were on your bottom!" Mikael cried, slapping the table top. "Our resident told me all about finding you sitting on the floor and blubbering about a zombie."

"I'd just worked seventy hours without a break!" Tiffany yelled at them. "I was beyond exhaustion. And our resident was a drunk."

"Really?" Phil looked confused.

"He went to A. A. during our first year as residents," Mikael added.

"That's why he was always late," Phil looked like he understood now.

Shaking her head and trying not to begin laughing, Tiffany spotted a nurse headed their way. "Dr. Mikaelson," she said. Then she leaned over and whispered something into Mikael's ear.

Mikael's eyes lit up. "Esther, come with me."

"Is it Kol?" Esther asked, already on her feet.

"Let us know how he is," Tiffany said, sitting back in her seat.

"We will." Esther took Mikael's outstretched hand as they left Tiffany and Phil alone.

"Looks like it's just the two of us…" Phil glanced at Tiffany who rolled her eyes in response. "Are you going to eat that?" He pointed at her yogurt cup, already reaching for it.

"Oh, Phil." Tiffany shook her head and got to her feet. "I'm going to go track down our daughters."

"Coming," Phil said as he inserted the spoon into his mouth. Tiffany really wished she could stuff him down the laundry chute. Maybe she could bribe an orderly to do it for her. The thought made her smile.

_Hayley_

Walking through her own front door, the first thing Hayley noted was the lights were all off. She flipped the light in the foyer on before heading for the stairs. No sounds could be heard as she paused at the top of the stairs. Maybe Rebekah did not come here. However, Hayley would happily put money on it.

Hayley's feet led her to Rebekah's door. It was closed. Knocking on the wood, Hayley waited. No one replied. Taking hold of the doorknob, Hayley attempted to turn it but it did not budge. Sighing, Hayley removed a hair pin, straightened it and shoved it in the lock, twisting it to and fro until the lock popped open.

Pushing the door open, Hayley took a cautious step inside before she ran her hand along the wall to her right and found the switch. Her fingers flicked it upward and she saw a huddled mass with blonde hair poking out of the blanket in the middle of Rebekah's bed. "Turn it off," the mass groaned.

Switching the light off, Hayley made way over to the nightstand and flicked the lamp on. "Hi," she whispered. Taking a seat next to the blonde mass, Hayley wrapped an arm around it and pressed her head into the comforter. "Bekah?"

"Please, just leave me." Bekah's voice cracked on the last word.

"Can't. Best friends don't bail. We kick your butt until you get out of bed." Hayley tugged part of the blanket downward to reveal Rebekah's red-rimmed eyes and wobbling lower lip. "Oh, honey." Looking around, Hayley grabbed for a tissue box and began plucking out a wad of paper to offer to her friend.

"He's my big brother," Rebekah moaned. "What am I do without him? Even if he is a wanker?" She blew her nose and shot Hayley a pitiful look.

"I don't know, Bekah." Hayley rubbed Rebekah's arm through the blanket.

After a moment, Rebekah pressed her face into Hayley's shoulder and they leaned into each other.

~0~

Hayley had lost track of time when someone tapped on the door. "Hey," Caroline said. "Okay. So, these are store-bought and if they suck I will be happy to make some new ones." She walked over to the bed with a tray of chocolate chip cookies. "I'll go get some milk."

Glancing at Rebekah, Hayley opened the container and Rebekah took a cookie but she did not try to take a bite. She just stared at it.

~0~

"Cookies are ready," Caroline announced. The smell of fresh-baked cookies wafted through the room as the perky blonde came in the door. The store-bought ones weren't bad. But Hayley had eaten half of them. She thought she was probably trying to make up for what Rebekah wasn't eating.

Another tap on the door. "Heard we had a patient who needed a house call." Tyler said as he popped his head in to offer the ladies of the house a grin.

"Bloody hell," Rebekah groaned, shaking her head. "Don't you have better things to do with your life, like leaving me be?" She shot Tyler a dark look. "Besides, I thought you were leaving us for greater adventures."

Caroline had just sat the cookies down in the middle of the bed. "You're doing what? Why didn't you tell us?" she demanded.

"Like you care. You married Satan," Tyler retorted with an eye roll. Then his attention moved, "Oh, cookies."

When Tyler came further into the room and reached for a cookie; Caroline smacked his hand. "Those are not for you. They're for Bekah." Her blue eyes traveled to Rebekah who still held the one store-bought cookie that Hayley had handed her two hours ago.

Rebekah held the cookie out to Tyler. "I don't want it."

"Oh?" Caroline deflated and sat down. She took one of her cookies and munched on it as Tyler sat across from Rebekah and they lapsed into silence.

~0~

Another hour passed and this time the person who entered the room did not knock. Josh leaned against the doorframe. "Hey, Bekah."

"Josh," Rebekah unfurled from the blanket, standing up and made the bed shake. Caroline made a swift grab to save her cookies before Rebekah could step in them as Rebekah walked across the bed and Josh moved to embrace her. He set her on her feet and Rebekah began to cry again.

Hayley felt her heart squeeze as she leaned back against the headboard. She held out a hand and Caroline placed another cookie it.

"He's going to be okay," Josh said, stroking Rebekah's hair. He looked at Caroline and Hayley could see the beginning signs of desperation in his face. He was clinging to the idea that Kol Mikaelson would live. Because if something happened, everyone would blame Josh. No. That wasn't true. Some people might blame Josh. Not his friends.

Hayley shook her head. She knew Josh had been welcomed back to the hospital like a hero the day after the surgery. As hours passed and Kol did not wake up that image began to fade. But they all knew that anything could happen after a surgery. All you could do was sit, and wait, and hope for the best.

A sudden vibrating made Hayley's hand go to her pants. Her finger moved to tug out her phone. "Hello?" she said quietly. Her legs moved to push her into an upright position but Davina's words sent her back to the bed. "He is?"

"What?" Rebekah turned away from Josh and stared at Hayley. Her eyes went wide as she dropped her comforter and hurried over to Hayley. "Is it Kol? Is he alright?" Tell me!" she cried, her voice rising, on the edge of panic.

"He's awake," Hayley said, clapping her hand over her mouth. Tears had begun to run down her cheeks. "He wants to talk to you." She held out the phone to Rebekah.

"Kol?" Rebekah's knees buckled and she fell to the floor, the phone pressed tightly to her ear. "You bloody wanker!" she cried, laughing and crying. "I thought you were going to die on us. Don't you ever do this again!"

Hayley couldn't hear what Kol said in response but she saw the light in Rebekah's eyes as she clutched the phone and continued to laugh. Getting up, Hayley made her way across the room. "Caroline, can you give Bekah a ride to the hospital?" she asked.

"Sure. Where are you going?" Caroline asked.

"To find my fiancé," Hayley replied, half-in and half-out of the door. Wherever Elijah was that is where Hayley needed to be right now and she suspected she knew where that was.

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello, my lovely readers. The hospital is experiencing a rollercoaster ride's worth of emotions. On with the show…**

Chapter 5: A World Where Everyone Is Safe and Happy

_Elijah_

Ice melted into small pools along the concrete around Elijah Mikaelson's feet. He watched people walk toward the front door of the hospital. Sunlight lit a bit of the still frozen but thawing grass. And death's claws retracted a fraction. For now. With a slow inhale, Elijah attempted to picture a world in which people did not get sick, they did not have accidents. Everyone felt at peace with themselves and the world them. And for the single moment, Elijah felt alright. Then the door opened somewhere behind him and he knew the real world wanted him back. Could he ask for a rain check?

"Elijah." Hayley. He heard her voice and a small smile appeared at the corners of his face. "I thought I'd find you up here." Her hand slipped into Elijah's. She turned sideways and pressed her nose into his shoulder. "Hi."

"Hello," Elijah inclined his head and pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head. "I needed a quiet place to think."

"Our place," Hayley replied, squeezing his hand.

Elijah nodded, resting his head on top of hers. "The sight of our first date. Shall we get married up here?" He pulled back to look her in the eye.

Hayley lifted her head and she flashed him an amused grin. "You want to have the wedding up here? What happens when a helicopter needs to land and beheads one of the guests?"

"Preferably one of the more annoying interns," Elijah retorted, wrapping his arms around Hayley's waist as she laughed at his joke. Yes. He would choose to wait for a more peaceful world even if it meant he would have to give up tiny moments with this woman.

"Lucien?" Hayley retorted, a gleam in her eyes. "Hey, Tyler's thinking about transferring. Maybe he can take Lucien with him."

"Tyler's planning on leaving?" Elijah frowned. "Then who will Niklaus have to torment daily?" He stroked a curl behind Hayley's cheek as he spoke.

"Oh, I don't know. Klaus is pretty good at finding people to drive nuts," Hayley replied. "Speaking of your family, I have news." She sobered before adding, "Kol's awake."

"He is?" Elijah felt his heart speed up. "Why didn't you tell me when you first arrived?"

"Well, you looked so at peace. And I know how not-at-peace your family can make you. I wanted to let you have a moment before the chaos ensued." Hayley smirked up at Elijah who could not help but laugh.

"That is true," Elijah sighed. "However, I do feel obligated to put in an appearance. Then I might just leave Kol to our family's unrelenting presence while we find an on-call room to celebrate in." His eyes glowed as he spoke and Hayley leaned upward to press a kiss to his lips.

Together, Hayley and Elijah headed for the door. Hayley opened it and Elijah followed her down the stairs. It did not take them long before they arrived at Kol's room. There was a small line of would-be visitors.

"Hey!" Caroline cried. She stood outside the door with Josh and Tyler. "Klaus and Rebekah are already inside. And your parents," she added the last part like it was a secret, her eyes on Elijah.

"Thank you, Caroline." Elijah inhaled before looking inside the room. He saw Niklaus sitting in a chair. He had a smile on his face. Rebekah sat on the end of the bed. Their mother stood opposite Klaus, cupping the side of Kol's head as if he were still a small boy. Their father stood beside his wife, a small frown on his face.

Elijah looked to Hayley. She gave a tip of her head and kissed his cheek. "Go," she said quietly.

Elijah stepped away from his fiancée and moved inside the room. "Kol," he said.

"Elijah. Wondered what was taking you so long, brother," Kol quipped. He tried to sit up and failed. "Well then. Looks as if I'm still not back to my old self," Kol said quietly. His words were light but Elijah could see the frustration there.

"Oh, Kol, you've just woken up," Rebekah groaned. "Stop being such a fool and allow someone to help you." She leaned over and picked up the control to the bed. "See. It's rather easy. You push this button. And up you go." She pushed the button and Kol's bed began to move upward.

"Thank you, Rebekah," Kol snapped. "I know how to use the bloody thing—Hey, where is the 'Stop' button!" he cried as the bed kept coming upward.

Rebekah snickered before she punched the button and Kol glowered at her. "Sorry. Couldn't help myself."

"Don't play with the equipment. It cost too much," Mikael warned Rebekah who rolled her eyes.

"Truly, Father. When else will I be able to control Kol's movements?" Rebekah inquired.

Klaus grinned. "Let me see that." He held out a hand for the control.

Elijah stepped over and snatched the control from Rebekah. "He is not a toy, children," he told his brother and sister.

Their mother gave Elijah an approving look. "Mama's boy," Klaus and Kol muttered before shooting each other devious looks.

Elijah's finger slipped over the "Up" button on the bed. "Shit! Not again!" Kol cried, moving forward. "Damn thing has a mind of its own."

Elijah clicked the button again. "Terribly sorry. My fingers slipped."

Kol's eyes rounded as he looked at his older brother. "You bloody git!" he cried but he had begun to laugh. Elijah felt afraid he'd never hear his brother's laugh again. Now that Kol seemed to be recovering, they would all need to take turns playing little jokes on him just to keep him from falling into a heap of self-pity about his recovery. It was the Mikaelson way: Poke and prod your loved ones to make sure they knew you cared.

"Kol, there are balloons coming your way!" Caroline called from the doorway.

"In the shape of circus animals? Or Bekah's old boyfriends?" Kol inquired with a wide grin.

"Condoms?" Klaus added. "He won't be needing those for the next month. Heard his doc say: 'No strenuous activity for the next four weeks."

"What? Who the hell is my doctor? Joshua? I'll murder him!" Kol snarled.

"No." Klaus shook his head, grinning at Kol. "I believe it's…who was Kol's current doctor at last check?" He looked at the others.

"No idea," Rebekah shrugged.

A tap on the doorframe alerted them to a new presence. "Ah, there he is. How is my patient?" Lucien came into the room and Klaus grinned widely at the intern. "I see you have a host of visitors. Chief Mikaelson," the intern still had no idea what was going on around him.

Lucien made the mistake of getting too close to Kol who snagged a fistful of the intern's scrub top. "Look, you infant, how dare you tell me that I can't have sex for the next four weeks. Wait until I am OR-ready. I will make sure you will never be having sex again!" Letting go of a frightening-looking Lucien, Kol fell back on his bed and glared. "Baby doctors. Get me a real physician!" He shouted.

Elijah shook his head. Yes. Kol would be just fine.

_Lucien_

After the last five hours of work, all Lucien Castle wanted to do was go home and hide in his apartment. However, there was one little problem: Lucien could no longer afford his apartment. He'd made the mistake of betting on the wrong sports team the last week and lost the money that should go to the rent.

Going into an on-call room, Lucien shut the door and let out a sigh of relief. A little shut eye and everything would be much better. The sound of a low moan made it clear to Lucien he was not alone in the room. A little smirk formed on his lips. He wondered which love birds of the hospital he'd walked in on. Edging his way closer to the upper bunk, he peered upward and then wished he hadn't.

"Lucien!" Hayley Marshall shouted. She did not have a top on and Lucien might be pleased with seeing more of the resident than he would ordinarily but then her right fist connected with his eye.

"Ow!" Lucien shouted, falling on his ass. He slammed his hand over his wounded eye. Now, he'd lost his home. Vincent broke his nose. Hayley had no doubt given him a black eye. Lucien wondered what other types of horror this week could bestow upon him. Perhaps Kol Mikaelson really would perform an amputation of Lucien's favorite appendage.

"What is wrong with you?" Hayley demanded. She hopped off the side of the bunk bed while Elijah Mikaelson grabbed his shirt and began to button it.

"I thought you might be someone more interesting," Lucien muttered. He stared at Hayley through his one good eye.

Hayley's eyes narrowed and she jerked his hand down. "Follow my finger," she ordered him.

"Leave me be," Lucien retorted. He freed his hand and pushed himself to his feet. "I'm sure you have patients to make sorry you're their doctor. As for me, I have other places to be." Hurrying out of the on-call room with the last of his dignity, Lucien went in search of the closest men's room.

Once he'd found himself inside the bathroom, Lucien leaned against the sink and forced himself not to cry. He felt terrible. Terrible for speaking of Freya in the manner he did when she'd done nothing to him. Terrible for walking in on Elijah when his brother just woke up and the man probably needed a reprieve from the stress. Terrible for pissing off Hayley when she had ten ways of making his life a little bit more of a hell than it already was. Terrible because he had no friends. And no girl. He might even be kicked out of the program; if he failed his resident's exam.

Everything seemed to be completely out of Lucien's control. And all he really wanted to do was find a bloody bed and get some sleep before Klaus tracked him down and made him watch over a baby with a thousand tubes attached to it.

Just as Lucien though of Klaus, his phone beeped and he found Klaus' name on the screen. _Come to the NICU_, Klaus' text read. _Wonderful_, Lucien thought. He felt his eyes well. Turning to face his own reflection, Lucien forced his usual cocked smile onto his face. "You're fine, mate," he addressed his reflection before pocketing his phone and leaving the bathroom. _Just bloody fine._

~0~

Another ten hours later, Lucien felt himself becoming giddy with sleep deprivation. "Going to check on Kol and then off to the bar," he told no one in particular at lunch.

No one even looked up. Vincent, as usual had his nose in a bloody textbook and Oliver was chatting with some girl who'd come in to check on her granny. "Right then." Lucien got to his feet. Picking up his tray, he avoided eye contact as he passed by the table where Hayley and Elijah were kissing like teens.

Lucien left the cafeteria, made for the elevators and hopped on. His eyes ticked to the left where Freya Mikaelson stood. She did not even look at Lucien. "Freya, I would like to say –"

"Save it for someone who cares what you think," Freya snapped. She stepped out the doors the moment they opened and took a sharp left.

Sighing, Lucien waited for the doors to close. He got off on the floor for the recovery wing and made his way down the hall. Popping his head in, he saw Davina Claire sitting by Kol's side. She was holding his hand and had a smile on her face that made Lucien feel his heart clench. She'd never looked at him like that.

"Hello there, Davina. Kol. Sorry to interrupt. Just came in to check on my favorite patient," Lucien managed a wide grin as he came in.

"He's fine," Davina said.

"Thanks to my favorite intern," Kol said. He lifted Davina's hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it.

Davina giggled and Lucien resisted the urge to snap at them both. "Good. Well, I'm taking off. Let a nurse know if you need my service," Lucien said, moving to leave the room.

"We won't," Kol replied.

Lucien felt his teeth clench. "Right."

~0~

Deciding to skip the bar, Lucien went to the basement and found no one there. He felt his luck turning around. With a yawn, he laid down and relaxed.

"Lucien, that's what on-call rooms are for," Vincent said drily.

Lucien decided he was trapped inside a nightmare. "I know. But I would prefer not to get punched by another resident shagging her boss, again." He rolled his eyes and attempted to go to sleep.

"Then go home. Didn't your shift end already?" Vincent added.

Seeing as Vincent was not going to let up, Lucien rolled over and glared at his fellow intern. "I don't have a home to go to. Now, please, bugger off."

There was a pause. "You have an apartment."

"Not anymore," Lucien said. "I lost it. Made a bad bet. And now I am homeless. Are you terribly happy?"

"No." Vincent took a moment. "I could use a roommate."

"You what?" Lucien rolled over and sat up.

"I said: I need a roommate," Vincent said.

"You hate me," Lucien replied.

Vincent nodded. "I do. But you need a room. Just make sure you don't gamble your rent away, again." He sat down on the gurney and opened his textbook. "And if we're living together, you'd better study for your exams."

Lucien leaned over and hugged Vincent. "Thank you."

"Don't hug me. Ever. Again," Vincent retorted.

Lucien grinned. "Right." He felt like his luck might be turning around after all.

_Caroline_

Falling asleep and dreaming that her husband turned into a giant marshmallow left Caroline Mikaelson amused. Waking up to find that her husband was somewhat drunk and climbing into her bed and the o-clock in the morning did not leave Caroline amused. "Where have you been!" she demanded.

"Celebrating, Mikaelson-style!" Klaus replied, sliding the comforter aside and pressing kisses up the inside of his new wife's thigh.

"Klaus Mikaelson, if you think you're going to make me less pissed by… By… Oh!" Caroline groaned as Klaus mouth moved and her back arched. "You're in… So much… Oh… Trouble…!" she cried out, taking hold of his curls and letting out a loud cry of delight. It was so nice to not have to worry about one her roommates walking in on them. They could be as frisky as they felt like.

"Niklaus, where is the ice cream!" A voice called out and Caroline screamed, sitting up and Klaus let out groan when his knee connected with his cheekbone.

"There's a woman in our house!" Caroline shouted, slapping Klaus' chest. "Why is there a woman in our house!"

"Just me!" Sage popped her head in and then grinned. "Sorry, Caroline. Didn't know you two were… Well, anyway, your next mammogram is scheduled for next month." Sage still seemed amused as she backed out the door.

"Oh, my God!" Caroline grabbed a pillow and smacked Klaus over the head with it. "Why is Sage here!" she demanded.

"She parties the hardest," Klaus explained, undoing his pants and then trying to crawl on top of Caroline who wiggled away from him. "Would you prefer to be on top, love?"

"How drunk are you!" Caroline snapped, smacking him with the pillow, again.

Klaus simply stared at her.

Shaking her head, Caroline pushed herself off the side of the bed. "You're unbelievable.

"Finn was alright with going home to deal with the babes in their tiny mangers. Sage wanted a night off. So, I said she could sleep off her ailment here. Thought you wouldn't mind. You and Sage get along. Don't you?" Klaus fell on his back and stared at the ceiling. "We're all so blasted worried about Kol. Needed to… needed to… Bloody hell…" Then Klaus let out a snore, his mouth hanging open and Caroline shook her head at her husband.

With a sigh, Caroline lifted the cover and wrapped it around him. "I'm going into the hospital," she whispered, sure he wouldn't hear her. Leaving the room, Caroline went into the living room to find Sage examining the DVD collection. "You can use our Netflix account," Caroline told Sage who nodded.

"Cool. Thanks. Sorry bout ruining your night," Sage said.

"It's not a problem. Klaus would have passed out on top of me and then I would be frustrated and he'd end up on the floor. This way, I can go to work and he can sleep it off." Caroline made her way over to the coat closet. "There are fresh linens in the guest room. If you get tired."

Sage nodded. "Trust me—with three babies at home—I'm always tired."

Caroline nodded and left the house. She felt sure she could find something to do at the hospital.

~0~

"Sorry, Caroline, this place is dead to the world tonight," Bonnie said with a shrug. "Unless you want to join Rebekah. She's happily doing SCUT. No idea why that girl is here right now…"

Caroline could think of one or two reasons that Rebekah might be here. "SCUT it is," she replied cheerily.

Bonnie gave Caroline a long look. "Good luck. I'm going home."

"Bye," Caroline called before she went to the elevator and pushed the down button.

Upon arrival, Caroline found a variety of things that made her feel like saying: "Ick," a hundred and twenty-five times an hour. By now, she felt used to whatever kind of gross a patient could shove in her face.

"Bekah Mikaelson, funny finding you down here. And of your own accord," Caroline quipped as she pulled on a pair of gloves and then grabbed the chart for the patient sitting beside Rebekah's.

"You're sounding more and more like Nik with each passing day," Rebekah retorted with a smirk.

Caroline rolled her eyes before turning to her patient and their infected foot. "That's looks painful. Let's see how we might remedy that, shall we?" she asked the patient who just stared at her.

~0~

Hours later, Caroline rolled her neck. She'd been puked on twice, her shoes were covered in something that might be purple who-knew-what and she really wanted to go back to bed.

"Shift starts in two hours," Rebekah told Caroline who groaned. "I'm feeling like a trip to the snack machine."

Nodding, Caroline followed her sister-in-law up to the snack machines when Rebekah inhaled and placed her hand on the side of her head. "Well, that is annoying…"

"Bekah?" Caroline watched Rebekah's eyes roll up in her head and then Rebekah pitched forward. Caroline caught Rebekah but Rebekah's weight pushed Caroline to her knees. "Help!" Caroline shouted. "I need help over here!" Eyes on Rebekah, Caroline felt her own heart banging in her chest. "Rebekah?" she cried, patting Rebekah's cheek. "Bekah? Wake up! Someone page the Mikaelsons, STAT!" she shouted. "Bekah?"

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello, my lovely readers. Welcome to Past I of my little ode to Valentine's with romance, friend-mance and a lot of mishaps in between. On with the show…**

Chapter 6: Ten Ways to Say I Love You: Part I

_Hayley_

"Would you move your blasted feet off my bed?" Blue eyes flashing fire, the blonde in the hospital bed glowered at her older brother and Hayley found herself smiling. This was the family she would be a part of. Soon. Soon-ish. She and Elijah hadn't really discussed when they would be getting married. There were so many things to take care of before the wedding.

"Hey!" Caroline chirped, entering the room. "How is my favorite patient?" she cooed at Rebekah who glared back.

"I demand that you release me!" Rebekah snarled.

"Not until we're sure you're alright," Klaus replied as he flipped his feet off the bed. Getting up, he pressed a kiss to Bekah's forehead. "Keep me posted on this one's condition." He pointed at Rebekah before moving to kiss his wife on the lips and then left them alone.

"Okay. He's gone," Caroline said. "Hayley, you can continue." She tugged a machine across the room and picked up a bottle of jelly, giving it a good shake before turning to Rebekah. "Lift your shirt."

"No!" Rebekah folded her arms over her chest.

Hayley sat down on the bed beside Rebekah. "Let's see. I was thinking something small. Just family –"

"It can't just be family!" Caroline cried, her eyes widening. "What about Josh!"

"Josh can have his own engagement party however he likes," Rebekah retorted with a snort. She glared at Caroline when Caroline tried to push Rebekah's hands out of the way.

"Do they have cake at these things?" Hayley mused. "I do like cake…"

"You should have a cake," Caroline replied while she and Rebekah batted at each other, each trying to win control of Rebekah's apparel.

"Oh, hi, Marcel!" Hayley called, glancing over her shoulder.

"What?" Rebekah cried out. Caroline grinned and jerked Rebekah's shirt up, pouring jelly on Rebekah's bare stomach. "Traitor!" Rebekah snarled at Hayley. Her eyes burned into Hayley's.

"Look, Bekah, if you have an ulcer from all of the stress, it's better to know now, rather than puking up blood all over the place in an OR months from now," Hayley advised. "Here. Take my hand. And tell me what kind of cake you like the best."

"It's not my bloody party," Rebekah grumbled. Her eyes traveled to the monitor as Caroline moved the apparatus above Rebekah's stomach. Hayley watched the lack of damage to Rebekah's stomach. That ruled out one possibility which left them to deal with another hundred.

"I was probably just dehydrated." Rebekah watched the monitor with skepticism. "I haven't been feeling unwell of late."

"Or you were too busy to pay attention to your symptoms," Caroline retorted. "Hayley, I love red velvet."

"Maybe cupcakes," Hayley said, still watching the monitor. "That way were can have a variety and people won't complain as much."

Now Rebekah's head turned. "Who cares what other people want. It's your blasted party. Do as you please."

The conversation stopped as a sound filled the room. A steady beat. "Oh," Caroline sighed. "Looks like we found the culprit." Hayley and Rebekah's attention went to the monitor. Hand going outward, Hayley felt rather than saw Rebekah's hand shoot up to take her best friend's. "You're pregnant," Caroline said.

"Obviously." Rebekah's voice came out choked and she placed her free hand over her eyes. A tiny whimper came out and Caroline removed the apparatus. "Oh, bloody hell," Rebekah muttered, blowing out a breath of air.

Hayley looked around. "Tissues?"

Caroline picked one up and held it outward. Rebekah reached out, waving her hand, apparently blind from the tears. "Bloody hell," she cried. Hayley snatched out a wad of tissues and pressed them into her friend's hand. "Here."

For a long moment they were all quiet. "You should think about music," Rebekah finally got out. "Bad music could make all the guests leave early. Which could be ideal."

Letting out a surprised laugh, Hayley wrapped her free arm around Rebekah. She felt her friend press her nose into her neck. "It's okay, Bekah."

"Welcome to the family," Rebekah muttered, letting out a quiet laugh.

Hayley nodded. She's worried about the party later. Right now, she needed to take care of her friend.

~0~

_Caroline_

"I assume everything is alright with Rebekah," Klaus called from the living room. Caroline could hear him as she lit the last of the candles. She hurried into the bathroom to fluff her curls and took a passing glance at her red negligee.

"She'll be fine. She's just a little…tired." Caroline called as she made her way down the stairs.

"Love, you are a terrible liar," Klaus called back.

Caroline found he was no longer in the living room. She thought he sounded like he was in the kitchen and she followed the sound of his voice. "Tell me it isn't something embarrassing. I do not need to know about my sister's yeast infection or some other type of nonsense. However, if it something serious; I have a right to know…" Klaus' head popped out from behind the open refrigerator door.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" Caroline replied, placing her hands on her hips and posed. She watched as her husband closed the door with his foot and leaned against the fridge, his eyes roving over her outfit.

"It's not Valentine's until next week, Caroline," Klaus replied with a little smirk.

Caroline nodded before crossing the space between them and slipping her arms around his neck. "I know. Call this a preview of things to come." Her eyelids lowered and she leaned upward to press her lips to his. Klaus' hands slid downward, grabbing her ass and then wrapping around her thighs, hiking her legs around his waist.

"Bedroom," Caroline moaned, feeling how much Klaus was ready to celebrate.

"Right." Klaus carried her through the living and up the stairs. He paused in the doorway. "I see Cupid threw up in here."

"Thanks." Caroline rolled her eyes and giggled as he carried her over to the rose petal strewn bed and laid her down. "Klaus," she whispered as Klaus' lips moved from her lips to her collarbone.

"Yes, darling?" Klaus murmured as his fingers slid inside the tops of her stockings and he massaged the skin underneath before moving downward to kiss thighs and undo her garter belt.

"I was thinking…" Caroline said, trying to concentrate on her words as they came out and not Klaus' hands as they made their way inside her bra. Her eyes rolled backward and she gasped.

Klaus eased upward to look into her eyes as he reached down to undo his pants and Caroline's hands moved down to help him get them off. "If this is about the honeymoon, I promise you, I am working with Father to find some time off in my schedule." His lips moved to hers and Caroline opened her mouth, allowing his tongue in while he pushed her panties off. "And making sure you will be allowed time off as well."

"Oh, yeah. That sounds great," Caroline moaned. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and began to move against him.

"Hold that thought a moment," Klaus said with a chuckle. He leaned over and opened the nightstand. A slight frown marred his brow. "Caroline, why is there a box of chocolates where the condoms used to be?" His eyes moved back to Caroline.

"Klaus. Honey." Caroline leaned upward, pressing a kiss to his neck as Klaus sat up. She moved on top of him as he placed his hands on her hips, preventing them from being as close as she wanted them to be. "I want a baby." Caroline watched Klaus' gaze darken.

"Caroline…" Klaus leaned his head forward, pressing his lips to hers. Smiling, Caroline placed her hands on top of his, trying to ease his fingers around her and press forward. It would make the baby-making process so much easier.

"Caroline." Klaus eased away from his bride and shook his head. "After what happened last time. I don't think this is a good idea."

Feeling cold, Caroline grabbed the comforter while Klaus got to his feet and pulled his pants back up. "What do you mean? How can you say that! It was a freak accident!" Caroline heard her voice going up and down in register and she shook her head, wanting to scream at Klaus. "We're married now. Things are different."

"How are they different!" Klaus demanded. "We don't even know if you can conceive and you want to torture yourself by trying to force the situation. I almost lost you over a baby neither of us were sure we wanted." The moment the words came out, Klaus' eyes widened and his head bent. "I did not mean that. Truly, Caroline –"

"Stop talking. Leave. Now," Caroline curled her arms and legs up into a ball and shook her head. "Just go!"

"Caroline!" Klaus cried. "You must know I did not mean –"

"Get out!" Caroline screamed, picking up a pillow and tossing it at Klaus' head. "Just get out! Get out! Get out!" She rolled over and pressed her face into a pillow and began to cry. She only felt a tiny bit better when she heard the door close. When she lifted her head to see all the burning candles; she felt a little bit worse.

~0~

_Freya_

"How are things going with you today?" Bonnie Bennett asked as she paused at the nurse's station.

Freya Mikaelson looked up from the computer she'd been sitting at ideally willing the day to end. She wanted to go home, crack a bottle of wine open and perhaps a box of chocolates she'd bought for herself.

"No one has died on my watch thus far. I would call that a good day," Freya replied with a light laugh.

"Yeah?" Bonnie chuckled. "The perks of being holed up in the lab all day; I don't have to worry about anyone bleeding out on my table. I don't have to worry about any scalpel-happy clowns trying to do a thoracotomy in the ER. Just me and Phil—Dr. Walters," Bonnie let out a cough before continuing, "Trying to save the world from one of its greatest enemies."

"How are things going in the lab?" Freya leaned back in her seat. "Rumor has it there has been some giggling from in there." She couldn't help teasing Bonnie. Being one of the only people who had seen the tremendous strength the younger doctor showed in the face of pain and an uncertain future—Bonnie had become one of Freya's favorite people and patients.

"Giggling?" Bonnie inhaled and moved to take a seat beside Freya. "How many people have said there was giggling?" she demanded, her eyes narrowing.

Not being able to hold it in, Freya began to laugh which made Bonnie's cheeks flush. Taking hold of Bonnie's hands, Freya attempted to calm herself. "Just some gossipy nurses. Most of us won't even think anything of it…"

"Most?" Bonnie rolled her eyes. Shaking her head, she pulled her hands away and fell back in the chair. "I need a slice of cake. No. Make that a whole cake."

"You're planning on eating your feelings, instead of acting on them?" Freya shook her head. "Bonnie Bennett, you need to live."

"Are you trying to tell me to sleep with Phil—Dr. Walters." Bonnie groaned and stared at the ceiling, twirling the chair in a slow circle. "Why can't we have another terrible storm so I can get the hell out of that lab?"

"You just said you enjoyed being in the lab!" Freya scoffed.

"I did. I do!" Bonnie retorted. She stopped the spinning of the chair. "But Philip freakin' Walters. I've heard about that man. He's not just a legend in the medical field. His affairs are legendary, too."

"So get some and enjoy the ride while it lasts. You deserve some fun." Freya patted Bonnie on the knee. "Both us do." She turned back to look at the desk,

Bonnie leaned an elbow on it. "Right. And who do you plan on having fun with? Considering you're related to half the hospital?" Her eyes were glowing and Freya tried to avoid the smirk on Bonnie's face. "I suppose there are some okay-looking interns roaming the halls. A nurse who might have caught your fancy…"

"Shut up, Bonnie," Freya muttered, her fingers moving across the keyboard and she had no idea what she thought she was looking for.

"You made me talk about my feelings. Spill." Bonnie continued to watch Freya until Freya pushed away from the computer and turned to her friend.

"Fine. Alright. I'll admit there's someone I might have an interest in." Freya looked around before she moved closer to Bonnie. "He's kind. And hard-working. Smart. Reliable."

"Okay. Now we're talking husband. Not fun." Bonnie was smiling as she spoke. "Go on."

"And that is why I can't be with him. After Jack…" Freya trailed off. "But there's something there. I can't deny that much. Every time I look into his eyes… I'm falling for him, Bonnie. And I don't know if I should be acting on it or not." Freya shook her head.

"Who is he?" Bonnie cried. "I need to know the name of this mystery man."

"I can't tell you," Freya shook her head, feeling her cheeks flushing. "He works for me."

"Oh…" Then Bonnie gasped. "You're hot for Lucien!"

"Never." Freya rolled her eyes. "It's Vincent," she hissed back before shaking her head. "I shouldn't have said that."

"Ahem. Doctors." Freya's eyes went above the desk to where Vincent stood. He did not look at her as he sat a chart down with the others. And then turned and left. "Oh, no," Freya moaned, her head falling forward on the desk.

"Just like high school," Bonnie muttered, looking around. "Someone better get a cake in here. Soon."

~0~

_Mikael_

"Would you hand me a diaper?" A baby wailed. Its tiny fists flailed about as the legs wrenched the air in tiny half-circles.

"There, there. It will be alright. No need to kick up such a fuss," the other adult in the room said, slapping a Pampers into Mikael's outstretched hand.

"Thank you, darling," Mikael said as he wiped the angry little man in front of him, slipped the new diaper under his bottom and then slid the onesie back up until the baby was fully covered.

"Not so bad? Now was it?" Esther asked, patting her husband's arm.

Mikael chuckled, picking up his grandson and then moving to sit him on a fort of pillows. "One down. Two to go."

"We must think of a way to thank Finn and Sage for bestowing us with this honor," Esther said, tickling young Audrey's toes. The baby let out a series of giggles as her grandmother played with her feet. Her head turned when Thomas let out a bellow of rage as his grandfather undressed him. This set Quinten off, again. "You've already had your turn," Mikael addressed Quin who blinked at his grandfather through wide blue eyes and then sneezed. That made Audrey let out another giggle.

Esther offered Mikael another diaper as Thomas continued to fight off Mikael's attempts to get him into a non-dirty diaper. "Come on, man. Let's not fight it. Shall we?"

Laughing, Esther watched as Mikael tried to keep the baby on his back. But Thomas had other thoughts. He rolled onto his back and tried to crawl away while Mikael held a dirty diaper in one hand and a clean one in the other. "How did you deal with all of this while I was at work?" Mikael asked his wife.

Esther shrugged. "I did what I must." She caught hold of Thomas by the ankle with one hand and then slid another under his stomach. Gently she rolled him and tugged him back down toward them. "Hello, there Tommy. You are going to be a handful, aren't you, sweetheart. Just like your uncle Kol. He always hated having his nappy changed, too."

Thomas blew a spit bubble out and Esther nodded. "Yes. I think so, too. Mikael, diaper." She held out a hand and continued to make wide-eyed expressions at the troublesome child before re-dressing him and picking him up. "Happy now, aren't you?"

Thomas yawned and leaned into his grandmother's shoulder. Mikael watched in wonder. He almost wished he'd been present when the children were this young. Almost.

"Let's get them off to bed, shall we?" Esther whispered.

Picking up, Quinten and Audrey, Mikael carried the two triplets back up to the room they would be sleeping in for the night while their parents had a night off. "Precious. These moments," Esther said as she took Audrey and laid her down between Thomas and Quinten.

"They're so angelic when they're asleep," Mikael noted.

Esther chuckled and took his hand, leading him out of the room. "And this is when I would take some time for myself," she said, leading him downstairs.

Esther turned on the baby monitor before moving to turn on a radio they'd kept from their first year of marriage. A soft song from their youth came on. "Care for a dance?" Mikael inquired. He held out a hand to his wife.

"Of course." Esther took his hand and they moved as they had for decades now. Their bodies were so familiar with each other. Mikael closed his eyes, knowing he would feel Esther's feet without looking. "It's like our first Valentine's."

"When I sat on your box of chocolates and you sprained your ankle on the dance floor because of the fashionable shoes?" Mikael inquired, leaning back to look his wife in the eyes.

"Yes." Esther's smile still made his heart leap. Their heads moved closer. Their lips finding the other's. "Shall it end the same way?"

"Yes. I could use a nap," Mikael replied, allowing Esther to lead him upstairs.

"Who said anything about sleep?" His wife's reply followed by a light laugh.

~0~

_Tyler_

"You know what this party is missing?" Tyler asked Lucien and Oliver.

"Women," Oliver groaned. "I can't believe Lucien picked the wrong bar. Again!"

Lucien shrugged. "Katie was rather lovely."

"Then why don't you give her a call," Tyler replied with an eye roll. "Oh, yeah, because her girlfriend threatened to stick a pool stick up your –"

"I was there!" Lucien shouted, shaking his head.

"How about we just admit it, we all suck with the ladies?" Tyler told them.

"Speak for yourself," Oliver said. "I have a girlfriend."

"Then where is she?" Tyler retorted.

Oliver shrugged. "She had to work tonight."

"You were going to tell us what this bloody awful party is missing," Lucien concluded with a sigh.

"One of those heart-shaped pizzas. And we don't need chicks," Tyler told his friends. "We have chocolate. We have beer. We have ESPN, thanks to Vincent not being here tonight. We're going to have a bro-fest."

"A bro-fest?" Lucien rolled his eyes. "I would rather be stuck at the hospital taking care of Klaus' babies."

"Fine. Let's talk about the last time you had sex," Tyler retorted. "Then maybe Vincent can come back to kick your ass."

Lucien rolled his eyes and got up. "Would prefer your beer with, or without ice?"

Tyler grinned. "See. We don't need some stupid greeting card holiday to make us all feel bad about how much we suck with women." His phone chimed and he picked it up. Brows going up, he slid the screen. "Rebekah?" Tyler stared at the coffee table as Rebekah rambled into his ear. "Okay. I'll be there."

"What was that about?" Oliver asked, popping the top on his can of beer.

"The worst of Valentine's surprises," Tyler said, pushing himself to his feet. "Word of advice. No matter how lonely you are, don't hook up with your girl friends. It never ends well." There was a reason Tyler did not like Valentine's Day. And this little bombshell would be one of them.

**Thank you for reading, liking, faving, and reviewing. **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello, my lovely readers. This is the conclusion of our Valentine two-parter. Hope you enjoy. On with the show…**

Chapter 7: Ten Ways to Say I Love You: Part II

_Bonnie_

"Dr. Bennett," Abigail, one of the nurses offered Bonnie a quick smile before she held out an envelope. "Dr. Walters asked if I would give this to you."

Bonnie's brows scrunched together as she took the plain, white envelope. "Thank you," she said, her eyes on the envelope. She had no idea what Dr. Walt—Phil had sent a nurse with a mystery envelope to her for.

Shaking her head, Bonnie walked down the hall and slipped into an empty room. Unsealing the envelope, her eyes went wide as she saw the cartoon Cupid, complete with bow and arrow. "What the…" She shook her head, a small smile appearing on her face as she opened the card.

_Dear Bonnie,_

_Since coming to this hospital I have found myself drawn to you. Yes. I know. I am your boss. And if you'd like to throw this on HR's desk, I completely understand. But you need to know that I find you intelligent, compassionate, resourceful, and one hell of a conversationalist. My intention is not to seduce you. My aim is for you to join me in our lab and for us to talk, to sip some champagne and perhaps spend a weekend in bed. Maybe I am trying to seduce you. Do you mind? If not, meet me in our lab. I'll be waiting. _

_Yours,_

_Phil_

Bonnie found herself laughing. Phil was certainly straight-forward about what he wanted. How many times had men tried to seduce her? Other than Kol… And her one professor… Okay. Not in a long time. She'd made it perfectly obvious that she was interested in work. Work alone.

Closing the card, Bonnie debated with herself for the next ten minutes before slipping the card into her lab coat. With a quick inhale, she marched over to the door and made her way out and into the hall.

"Dr. Bennett. Can I ask you about –" Lucien Castle called out when Bonnie held up a hand.

"Find your resident," Bonnie replied, moving past the intern, her heart pounding what felt like a million beats per second.

Once Bonnie made it to the floor her lab was on, she felt herself shiver. What if Phil was just playing a joke on her? What if he'd meant to send the card to someone else and had an intern write it up? No. She knew his writing. Letting out a nervous laugh, Bonnie continued down the hall and pushed the door open.

Eyes going wide, Bonnie found a blanket on the floor and what looked like dinner already laid out for them. "You made it," Phil cried, appearing in a tux. "I thought you'd taken my suggestion about sending the card to HR." He placed a hand over his heart before moving across the floor to take her hand. "What do you think?" He waved at the candles on the table. The strawberries in a bowl. The unopened bottle of champagne.

"You went all out." Bonnie glanced at Phil. "So, this is the Famous Philip Walters Seduction Dance? Not bad. Good thing you've had to so many years to practice your technique." She patted him on the chest and moved to sit down. Plucking up a strawberry, Bonnie took a bite. Her eyes closed and she let out a moan. They tasted like they'd been picked that morning.

"I have had time to improve the method," Phil took a seat across from her. "I love that you like it."

Bonnie looked around. "I do. Why don't you fill my glass and we'll negotiate that weekend."

Phil chuckled and popped the cork. Bonnie laughed as champagne spilled over the top and onto the blanket. "Bonnie, you're one of the best parts of coming to New Orleans."

"You're not bad yourself," Bonnie replied, meeting his blue eyes and clinking her glass with her mentor's. She didn't think she'd ever have a better Valentine's date than this.

_Davina _

Heart banging in her chest, Davina looked at the flowers and the chocolates and the stuffed bear and wondered how much he would hate it. She really did not know so much about this man. Oh, no! Why had she chosen a 90s' rock ballad? Kol probably hated the 90s.

The door opened and Kol was wheeled back inside by Genevieve. "Why are the bloody lights off?" Kol complained.

"Don't know. Let's see what we can do about that?" Genevieve said as she flicked a switch and the overhead light came on.

Kol's brows rose when his eyes went over the flowers around the room and the chocolates sitting on his pillow. His eyes finally found Davina who stood in a corner, feeling like an idiot. "Oh, my. Close the door," he said, waving at Genevieve who gave a thumbs up to Davina and hurried out of the room.

"Um… I don' really know what you like… So, there's a little bit of a lot of things…" Davina felt like sinking through the floor.

Holding out his hands, Kol leaned back in the wheelchair he'd had to move around in for the past week. "Come here, darling."

Cautiously, Davina made her way over to the chair. She allowed Kol to take her hand. With more strength than she'd expect out of him, he tugged her downward. His free hand went to her cheek. "You. In this dress," his hand went to the hem of her little black dress. "This is all I could ask for." His hand slid under the dress and Davina let out a shocked laugh.

"Now, Dr. Mikaelson, your doctor told you you can't strain yourself for the next month," Davina whispered into his ear.

Kol chuckled. "I don't plan to." He pulled back to look her in the eye and Davina grinned before she pressed her lips to his. His hand went to the back of her dress and slid the zipper downward. She could tell he was planning on going against all of the medical advice and she wanted him to. Blood rushed through her body and she sighed as his mouth moved to her neck, down her collarbone and over her chest.

"Kol," Davina moaned. "I think we should wait. Until you're feeling better." It took all of her self-restraint to ease out of the chair and to pull her dress back up.

"Spoil sport," Kol retorted with an eye roll. "At least offer to give me a sponge bath."

Rolling her eyes, Davina went behind his chair and leaned over his shoulder. "Maybe if you behave like a good patient."

Kol glanced back at her with a wicked grin. "Sure. I can endure a couple of more weeks of torture before you play doctor with me. Can I put you on-call, Dr. Claire?"

"Uh-huh." Davina helped Kol out of his bed. She expected him to try to tug her onto the bed with him but he didn't. "I don't know if you like chocolates." She glanced at the box.

"Only if you'll share them with me. I want to watch you eat them." Kol shot Davina another wicked grin. Opening the box to his left, he took one out. "Close your eyes." She closed her eyes and he placed a chocolate in her mouth.

Sighing, Davina chewed it slowly, watching Kol's eyes darken. "I can't wait to get out of this bed," he told her, taking her hand and pressing kisses to her fingertips.

"Then we might indulge ourselves in a real Valentine's celebration," Kol said. He leaned forward and slid his hands around her waist, tugging her to him and leaning forward to kiss her when music began to play out of the teddy bear. "What the bloody hell is that?" he demanded, glaring at the bear.

"It's 'Truly, Madly, Deeply,' by Savage Garden," Davina replied, squeezing her eyes closed and peering at him through one. "I thought you might like it. It's from the 90s…"

"Remind me of prom," Kol retorted. Then he broke into a grin. "I was Prom King. And I would have been much happier if you had been my queen."

"Isn't that a song, too?" Davina inquired as Kol began to sway, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Perhaps," Kol looked into her eyes. "No more talking. Doctor's orders." He began to kiss her, again, and Davina did not argue, this time.

_Marcel_

"Bloody rat trap! Can anyone do anything right around here?" Klaus Mikaelson was on the war path. For the past week he and Caroline had been seen passing each other like two warring ships in the night about to torpedo each other at any moment. Marcel was happy to stay out of the fray.

If only he were that lucky. Just as Marcel started to leave the area, Klaus caught sight of him. "Marcel, can you do me a favor and grab some lab results for me?"

Marcel folded his arms over his chest. "Don't you have interns or residents to torture with that?"

Shaking his head, Klaus rolled his eyes. "As I'm sure you know, Caroline and I are having an argument. She's gotten into the heads of the residents and the interns and I can't seem to get any of them to do anything for me. Please, just this one time. I'll owe you."

"Right," Marcel rolled his eyes. "Fine." He shook his head and left his friend to his ranting by himself.

On the way down the stairs, Marcel caught sight of Caroline. "Hey!" he called. Might as well deal with both of them if he had to deal with one of them. "You okay?"

Caroline nodded. "Yes. I'm fine. I just have things on my mind."

"You mean Klaus. Mikaelsons. You can't live with them…" Marcel saw Caroline shrug. "I'm sure Klaus will begin to grovel soon enough. It's that time of the year when people are thinking about hearts and flowers. And he already misses you."

Caroline's head lifted. "He does?"

"Of course he does. All he can do is grunt and grumble. He's his most annoying when the two of you are fighting." Marcel watched Caroline perk up.

"Thanks, Marcel," Caroline said. She patted him on the shoulder. "You're going to make such a great dad." She started to move past Marcel when his hand shot outward and he caught her by the arm.

"Dad?" Marcel stared at Caroline whose eyes widened and her hand clamped over her mouth.

"Oh, my God!" Caroline cried, shaking her head and she tried to pull away but Marcel was not letting her get away so easily. Not after she dropped a bomb like that. "I didn't mean anything by that." But her frantic need to run from him clued Marcel into Caroline's being full of it.

"Spill." Marcel said, still holding onto Caroline's arm.

"Rebekah's going to kill me," Caroline sighed.

"Rebekah's having a baby?" Marcel felt his heart begin to pound in his chest. "Are you sure?"

"Yup. But she doesn't really want to make a thing of it –" Caroline trailed off as Marcel let go of her and hurried down the hall. "Marcel, don't tell her I told you! Please! I want to live to thirty!"

~0~

After work, Marcel stopped by Hayley's house. A confused-looking Tiffany Marshall answered the door. "Hello, handsome young man with flowers and other gifts. Can I help you?" Her eyes went over the bag in Marcel's hand and the flowers in the other.

"Is Rebekah home, Dr. Marshall?" Marcel felt like he had come to escort his on-again off-again girlfriend to a school dance.

"She is." Tiffany nodded. She moved aside for Marcel to enter the house. "Rebekah. A friend of yours is here. He's brought gifts."

"Bloody hell!" Rebekah called back. "I don't feel like company!"

Tiffany looked to Marcel. "She's all yours."

Marcel nodded and mounted the stairs. He went down the familiar hallway and knocked on the door before turning the knob. Rebekah sat on her bed in a pair of yoga pants and an over-sized T. "What do you want?" she demanded, grabbing a tissue and blowing her nose. She looked miserable.

"I brought these for you," Marcel said. He held out the flowers which Rebekah eyed suspiciously. Moving to the nightstand, Marcel set them down. "And this." He pulled out a mint green onesie. Rebekah's eyes widened and her mouth opened but he jumped in. "I figure we should let the kid make up their own mind about who they are." Opening the bag, he pulled out another tiny T-shirt. It said: "My Mommy Operates on People's Hearts." He grinned. "Who knew the gift shop had shirts like this?"

Rebekah placed a hand over her mouth and let out a laugh. "Oh, Marcel." She held out her arms to him. He sat down on the bed and pulled her into a hug.

"You're not alone in this, Bekah," Marcel said, rubbing her back.

"You're not the father," Rebekah retorted, pulling back to look him in the eye.

"I don't care. I'm going to love this baby like I am. And their mommy," Marcel cupped Rebekah's face and kissed her. "You are the only woman I want to be covered in baby vomit with."

Still laughing, Rebekah climbed on top of him. "Hormones are kicking in early, I must say."

"I'm not complaining," Marcel said before Rebekah shut up.

_Josh_

After a long day, Josh was looking forward to leaving the hospital and take a nice, long bath with his boyfriend, Aiden. Or maybe Josh would have to settle for a bottle of bubble bath and a rubber ducky. Pulling out his phone, Josh noted a text he'd missed from said boyfriend: _Sorry, babe, took a shift from Gen. Will b home as soon as pos._

Rolling his eyes, Josh slunk down to the lobby. He caught sight of Caroline. Maybe they could finally find some time to hang. It felt like a century since it'd been just the two of them. "Hey, Care Bear!" Josh called out, waving to Caroline.

Caroline jumped like she'd been caught doing something wrong. "Josh!" she squealed, adding to Josh's suspicions. The smile frozen on her face made Josh raise an eyebrow. "How are you? How was your day? Are you off? Already?" Caroline asked him. Her voice was way too high.

"Caroline. What's going on?" Josh could not understand why Caroline was acting weird.

Caroline blinked. "Nothing… Why? Did someone tell you something was going on?"

Josh shook his head. "Care. I'm tired. Can you just tell me whatever it is you're trying to hide?"

Caroline let out a laugh. "Me? Hiding something? What could I possibly be hiding?" Her eyes shot up to the top of the stairs. "Klaus. Hide me!" She ducked behind Josh who could not help but shake his head.

"I can see you, Caroline," Klaus called to his wife.

"I know!" Caroline called back. She popped her head around Josh's shoulder, clutching Josh's jacket. "I have to go –"

"Caroline, wait!" Klaus hurried down the stairs.

"I should go," Josh said as Klaus came to stand in front of him.

"No!" Klaus' hand came down on Josh's shoulder, holding him in place. "You can't!"

"Why?" Josh looked from Klaus to Caroline.

"Because I need you on a case," Klaus replied.

"Take Caroline. You guys need to talk anyway." Josh tugged Caroline out from behind him and pushed her into her husband's arms. "You two enjoy your night. I have a reservation with my bathtub."

"He can't leave yet!" Caroline whisper-hissed as Josh made his way toward the front door.

"I know that, Caroline," Klaus hissed back.

"Then why are you letting him!" Caroline.

"It's not my fault! You're his friend! You stop him!" Klaus.

"What is going on!" Josh cried, stopping at the door. He folded his arms and looked from Caroline to Klaus.

"You look hungry!" Klaus declared, marching over and taking hold of Josh's arm, leading him toward the stairs.

"He does!" Caroline joined them, taking Josh's other arm and forcing him up the stairs.

"I have food at home!" Josh cried, looking from Caroline to Klaus.

~0~

Still not understanding why he was being kidnapped and taken to the hospital's cafeteria, Josh's jaw dropped when he entered to find dark blue and purple lights coming from above. Candles were glowing atop the tables. Soft music played from somewhere Josh could not see.

Aiden came walking between the tables, toward Josh. He wore a suit and looked a little nervous but he was smiling.

"What? What's going on?" Josh cried.

"Joshua Rouza, we met in this place. We had our first date in this cafeteria. I knew that I loved you the day you offered me the last vanilla pudding cup." Aiden got down on one knee. "That's when I decided to start saving up for this. I hope you like it."

Opening a small black velvet box, Aiden looked up and Josh let out a laugh as his boyfriend pulled out the silver band. "I want you to be with me. For the rest of our lives. Will you marry me, Josh Rouza?"

Josh could not speak for a solid minute. "Yeah. Yes. Uh-huh." He allowed Aiden to slide the ring onto his finger before he grabbed his fiancé and kissed him. "I love you so much." Turning, he looked at the doors as Caroline popped her head inside. "Come in!" he shouted.

Caroline and Klaus came in. "He said: Yes!" she cried, grabbing Josh's hand.

"I said: Yes!" Josh nodded. He could not be happier.

_Elijah_

It seemed that romance was all over the hospital and Elijah felt nervous. He'd done his best to make a little surprise for Hayley. However, he had no idea how she would feel about it. She'd never seemed to take to large parties. And this… Well, thanks to Elijah's allowing Caroline and Rebekah to help him with the festivities; it could not be bigger.

"Now this is why the hospital has a ballroom," Caroline said, placing her hands on her hips and looking around.

"It's for fundraising, you daft fool," Rebekah snorted, shaking her head at Caroline.

"Bitch!" Caroline cried.

Rebekah's head turned and Elijah feared he would have to separate the two when they began to laugh. "It's so nice to have a sister."

"You have a sister," Freya added, coming to join them and kissing Elijah on the check. "Hayley should be here. Soon, brother. Nervous?" She wiped lipstick off his cheek with the side of her hand.

"Not at all." Elijah straightened his tie.

Kol came wheeling up to them. "He's a liar."

Just at that moment Hayley came walking in the door in an evening gown that made his mouth go dry. "She does believe this is a fundraiser, correct?"

"Yes." Rebekah grinned as Hayley made her way over to them.

"You look great," Caroline said.

"You look stunning," Elijah added.

"I stand corrected," Caroline said. "I have to go get my husband drunk and have my way with him in the parking lot."

"Does she ever not tell us way too much?" Hayley asked, leaning into Elijah's side. He placed an arm around her waist. "Well, I see most of the hospital staff. Where are the donors?" she questioned him. "I'm going in for the kill with the ones with the most to spend."

"This isn't a fundraiser," Elijah said quietly.

"Congratulations!" Genevieve cried, coming over to them with a glass of champagne. She tipped to the side. "I thought I would be the next to get hitched. But it's so much fun attending everyone else's engagement parties. Thanks for the invite, Elijah!" She raised her glass, nearly poured it on Hayley before turning away. "Who wants to take me home tonight!" she shouted.

Hayley turned to Elijah. "This is the engagement party?" She swallowed. "Wow!"

"Are you angry?" Elijah whispered, cupping her elbow. "We can turn this into another excuse for the staff to get drunk and ruin the woodwork."

"No…" Hayley frowned. "It's just… I was trying to work through how to make the perfect party and I suck at that kind of thing and it never occurred to me that you would plan the party yourself. It's just… so you. Can you plan the wedding, too?" Her expression became hopeful.

"You'd like for me to?" Elijah inquired, sliding his arms around her waist.

"Yes. Please! That would be so great. Parties like this are so not my thing. But they're your thing. Apparently." Hayley's eyes went around the room before Elijah leaned down and stole a kiss. "And kissing…" She leaned up and kissed him back.

"Hayley Marshall, there are so many things that you do so very well. Loving me being one of them." Elijah stared into her eyes. "When did I get so lucky that I met you?"

"Don't know. But I'm sure we can work through it. Maybe. Back at your place," Hayley said. She glanced around the room with a mischievous look. "I don't think they'll miss us, do you?"

"No. Not as long as there is an open bar," Elijah took Hayley's hand and they hurried toward the exit. He thought they'd enjoy their engagement party much more from the confines of his bed.

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello, my lovely readers. Three characters find themselves at a crossroads. On with the show…**

Chapter 8: The Hardest Conversation

_Hayley_

Tucking her legs underneath her, Hayley Marshall glanced at her fiancé, Elijah Mikaelson's brooding face, and wished she could peer inside his mind and read his most guarded thoughts. Smiling, she lifted her fingers and brushed his brown locks out of his face. His eyes lifted to meet hers and they exchanged a long look and then a steamy kiss which Hayley hoped might lead to something more. But then Elijah returned to the medical journal in his lap and Hayley's eyes returned to that month's copy of _Modern_ _Bride_ which Caroline had made her promise she would read. Hayley interpreted read as: Flip through the pages and try to decide if she would be caught dead in any of the frou-frou dresses.

The next day, Hayley found Elijah before he was to go in and attempt to remove a tumor from a man's medulla oblongata. This surgery—given the tumor's growth at the base of the brain—and above the spinal cord—could end with Elijah's patient being paralyzed and Hayley did not want to upset him. However, she did want to talk. Soon.

"Hi, you," Hayley called as she popped her head inside the scrub room. "Got a minute?"

Elijah glanced up from his important work of washing his hands. Grinning, he nodded. "Of course."

Heading inside the room, Hayley moved to cross the space between them and leaned against the sink. "So, I was thinking of making us dinner tonight. Just a quiet night in."

"Yes?" Elijah nodded. "As soon as I get done removing Hermie from my friend, Mr. Watson, I'll pick up a bottle of wine and come home to enjoy whatever meal my lovely fiancée has prepared for the night."

Hayley laughed. She found Elijah's nicknaming the tumor to make it seem less frightening, endearing. "You'd better. Or I'll have to find something else to do with my spare time. And if Caroline does not stop blowing up my phone with questions about wedding cake, I'm going to book us a flight to Vegas."

"Wouldn't want to upset your bridesmaid before the wedding," Elijah quipped.

"Bridesmaid?" Hayley scoffed, folding her arms over her chest. "I swear, it's like she's decided that this is her wedding. I am going to kill Klaus for not giving her that fairy tale fest that would end with all of us drunk and puking in the bushes at the reception."

Laughing aloud, Elijah leaned down and pressed his lips to hers while keeping his hands away from her. "Sorry. I have to go now."

"I know. See you tonight," Hayley said. She turned to watch Elijah go into the OR with a light feeling.

~0~

At nine o'clock in the evening, Hayley uncorked a bottle of wine Elijah seemed to have forgotten he had or thought wasn't good enough for this evening. The food was growing cold on the dining room table.

By eleven, Hayley had finished her third glass of wine and gotten up and blew out the candles. So much for a romantic dinner for two. Stalking over to the cabinets, she removed containers and then turned to the table. She took her time putting the food up and then she went into the living room with the bottle of wine.

~0~

Around two o'clock in the morning, Hayley woke to someone climbing into bed with her. She rolled over to find it was Elijah, his familiar scent enveloping her senses as he slid in beside her. "How did the surgery go?" she asked him.

Elijah curled his arms around her and buried his nose in her neck. "The surgery was a success…"

Hayley closed her eyes. "Poor Mr. Watson…" She felt the hot prick of tears at the back of her lids. Mr. Watson had three grandchildren who had come to visit him every day and the youngest, a girl named Abigail, would read from the Wall Street Journal and concoct tales from whatever she was telling her grandfather. Giant buildings would turn into monsters and eat up the stocks and bonds. The child was eight. And she was a storyteller. She would be crushed. All of the children would be.

"Yes. Poor Mr. Watson," Elijah said, growing still.

Hayley rolled over. She wondered if he was seeking comfort and her hand went to his pants. "Not tonight," he muttered before rolling over and turning his back on her.

~0~

A week later, Hayley decided she couldn't wait anymore. "Elijah, do you want kids?" Hayley asked.

Elijah had a piece of toast half-way to his mouth when Hayley asked her question. By the look on his face, Hayley wondered if she should have waited until next year to ask.

Sitting his toast down, Elijah inhaled sharply. "Yes. Do you?"

"Yeah. I think I do." Hayley stopped herself from saying that Rebekah might offer them her off-spring. Rebekah seemed to be all over the place about her pregnancy but this was about them.

Elijah's mouth worked. It looked like he wanted to smile. "I lost a child, Hayley. I lost him in a terrible manner…and that makes it harder. Otherwise, I would have already picked you up and be half-way to making our first child as we speak." Finally, a small smile appeared on his face.

Hayley got up and moved to stand beside Elijah's chair. He pushed it back and she sat on his lap. "We can wait. There isn't a huge rush." She pressed a kiss to his ear. "And we can practice. We can practice a lot." Her lips moved to his neck. "I mean, you kind of put me in the mood with this talk of table sex." Her eyes flashed as Elijah's brows rose. "Yeah?"

Hands going around her waist, Elijah hoisted Hayley up and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he cleared the table top and laid her down on top of it. His hands slid under her top and he threw it across the room as his hands slid under her knees. Her head arched backwards as they came together and she felt a hundred times better about how the last week had gone.

~0~

A week later, Hayley flipped through another bridal magazine which she felt bored with. Her boredom decreased when Elijah flipped her onto her stomach and pulled her underwear off. "Practice makes perfect," he muttered, running his open mouth down her spine as he pulled her hips upward. Hayley thought she might begin a much more entertaining check list for the wedding: Best sexual positions for the honeymoon.

Yes, Hayley felt a lot more excited about her up-coming "I dos" as she formulated the list until Elijah cupped her chin, his open mouth beckoning hers and made her forget everything, including her own name. By the time she and Elijah decided to start making babies, Hayley felt they would have practiced about a thousand times. And she looked forward to another thousand rounds.

~0~

_Klaus_

"Klaus!" Caroline hopped onto Klaus lap and Klaus felt startled because he was sitting at the nurse's station and everyone could see his wife startling him.

"Hello, love," Klaus replied. He glanced around to see if anyone was watching them—other than the security guards behind the cameras. It was past midnight and the hospital was usually fairly quiet at this time of night but you never knew when a patient or a family member might be wandering about. "Who do I thank for whatever has put you in this mood?" he asked, placing his hands on Caroline's sides, enjoying the feel of her breasts as she inhaled and exhaled.

"I just wanted to say: 'Hi,'" Caroline replied slowly. Her eyes moved over his face and then her lips moved downward to press to Klaus.' He inhaled, feeling his body responding as Caroline wiggled on top of him. "Is this about wanting another baby?" he gasped as Caroline's hand went down and she slid her hands into his pocket.

"Josh and I were checking out the cuties in the nursery," Caroline said. Her mouth had found the crook of Klaus' neck and she undid his tie, peeling back his shirt to lick and nip at his skin. "And I was thinking…"

"Caroline, I told you how I feel on the subject," Klaus began when Caroline pulled back and pulled the hair clip out of her hair. With a long, slow smile that could spell trouble, she slid off his lap and under the desk. Klaus felt his face flush as she undid his belt and unzipped his pants. "Caroline, I don't think –" Klaus stopped talking and his wife made his brain stop working. His hands slammed down on the desktop and he clawed at the wood. "Caroline," he groaned.

"Hey, Dr. Mikaelson," a voice startled Klaus who looked up to find that fool, Lucien Castle, grinning at him. The intern leaned against the counter.

"I thought you were up in the NICU; where I left you two hours ago! Who the bloody hell is keeping an eye on the preemie I just helped save the life of this morning!" Klaus growled, glaring at Lucien.

"Oh?" Lucien shrugged. "Called Vincent. He said he could help me by taking a few hours while I popped down to the on-call room and took a nap."

"Oh, how good of your little mate, Vincent," Klaus snapped. "If I have to escort you up there myself; I blasted well will." Forgetting for a second what he was in the middle of, Klaus began to stand up when he let out a cry of pain as teeth sunk into something. "Bloody hell!" he shouted.

"You alright, Dr. Mikaelson?" Lucien asked, brows rising. He started to come around the corner when Klaus held up a hand and fell back into the seat.

"I'm fine," Klaus snapped. He continued to glower at Lucien who offered him a quick grin. "Go back to the NICU and do not dare leave until I come to tell you've been relieved for the evening."

"Right." Lucien shrugged. For some reason, he seemed to be taking the news well. Too well. "Have a good night, Dr. Mikaelson… Both of you!" he raised his voice for the last part. A smirk played at the corners of his mouth as he left them alone.

"Bloody fool," Klaus grumbled as Caroline climbed out from under the desk. She grabbed tissue and wiped her mouth while Klaus checked for damage to his favorite appendage while trying to hide his activities from the all-seeing eye of Big Brother.

"When you're ready to return to the baby discussion; we'll continue that…" Caroline tapped the top of the desk and smirked at Klaus.

Klaus let out a growl as his wife left him, swinging her hips to and fro. She would drive him nuts.

~0~

The next afternoon, Klaus found himself hands deep in a young woman who was barely out of her teens. She'd gone into early labor. Her baby was eight months along but did not want to come out any other way but with her shoulder coming out first.

Between Klaus and Sage, they decided an emergency C-section would be the best route to take because the mother had a heart condition and the longer it took them to deliver the baby, the more stress her heart was under.

Marcel came into the room. "What do you have for me?" he'd asked them. His eyes were on the mother; Klaus' were on the child.

"She's trying to go into cardiac arrest," Sage informed Marcel.

"Great. I need to get in there," Marcel told them.

"After I get done getting this baby out; you may do whatever you wish." Klaus removed the perfectly formed baby from her mother's womb. "Right. I've got her." He hurried to place her on her back. The child had not let out so much as a whimper. Massaging her chest, Klaus watched her closely. "Breathe for me, little one," he whispered.

After what felt like a lifetime, a tiny whimper sprang from the child and then her eyes opened, revealing wide blue eyes and she let out a wail. "Oh, there. There," Klaus murmured. "Let's get you a nice little bath. A diaper. Then we'll make sure you're healthy before you can go and make your first friends? Shall we?" He refused to allow a nurse to clean the baby, doing it himself as the little girl squirmed and grabbed at his fingers. Klaus found himself smiling.

~0~

"Is the girl alright? The mother?" Klaus asked, as casually as possible during lunch.

"She didn't make it. No one told you yet?" Sage said, playing with her salad and looking unhappy.

"No. They didn't. Does the child have family?" Klaus inquired.

"Don't know." Sage shrugged. "She was so young." She looked up when Klaus pushed himself to his feet. "Where are you going?"

"I've got some research to attend to," Klaus replied. His mind on one priority.

~0~

"Where are we going?" Caroline cried as Klaus tugged her toward the NICU. "Klaus?" she groaned. "Are you making me pull another all-nighter?"

"Stop talking." Klaus saw Caroline's cheeks flush. She was about to lose her temper before he placed his arms around her waist and eased her in front of the glass. He placed his chin on her shoulder. Taking her hand, he placed it over the glass where the baby he'd rescued that morning lay. "She's an innocent, Caroline. She doesn't have any living family. I want to bring her home. If we're allowed, I want to adopt her."

"Oh?" Caroline glanced at him. "What do we call her?"

"I was thinking Hope. If you don't mind?" Klaus said, pressing his cheek to Caroline's.

"Oh. Okay." Caroline stared through the glass partition. "Hello, Hope."

_Kol_

Staring at the weight that should be going up further as he straightened his calves and thigh muscles, working the blasted machine and watching in horror as the weights moved a mere inch more than they did last week; Kol let out a cry of anger. "This isn't right!" he snarled.

"Hey, mate, you can only do what your body allows you to do," Kaleb Westphall, his overly-enthusiastic physical therapist from hell. "It's one step at a time in recovery."

Kol cursed, for the forty-fifth time, his younger sister's hormones, which pushed her to hire the idiot who was helping Kol "Get back on his feet." "Thanks." Kol snapped, easing his feet out and around. He could walk, but not well. Not yet. He'd spent too much bloody time in a hospital bed. According to Kaleb, it could take Kol another four to six weeks to fully recover. And that is if there is nothing else wrong with him.

"Be a good lad and hand me a towel," Kol said.

"Get it yourself," Kaleb replied.

For a moment, Kol thought the boy had decided this whole thing was funny. It was a very good thing that Kol was not at his full strength. Otherwise this boy would be headed to the dentist's and asking for some new teeth.

Opening his mouth, Kol was about to say: "You're out of a job, mate. Good luck with the next one," when Kaleb let out a quiet laugh.

"I'm just messing with you, Kol. Don't let this experience take away your humor. Half the battle is learning how to maintain it while you're losing your mind with impatience." Tossing Kol a towel, Kaleb turned his back.

Kol sat down and spotted a water bottle. Picking it up, he took aim and moved to throw it at the back of the lighter-haired man when someone knocked on the door. "Hey, guys!" Davina. She came in wearing a mini-dress and had a huge smile on her face.

"How is my favorite guy doing today?" Davina inquired.

"Fine," Kaleb said, straightening up. Then Kaleb glanced over his shoulder at Kol. "Oh, you mean him. Sorry. Ladies tell me I'm their favorite guy from time to time." His comments ended with a wide grin in Davina's direction.

Davina's eyes rounded and she let out a laugh. Walking past Kaleb, she swatted his arm. "You are so funny," she told him, her hand lingering just a tad bit too long for Kol's taste. It made his jaw set.

Miming Kaleb's words, Kol wordlessly grumbled to himself as he tied his shoelaces. "Bye," Davina called.

Kol's eyes lifted to watch Kaleb stop in the doorway. "I'll see you tomorrow. Same time," Kaleb called. "And don't worry about the setback. Happens to plenty of men your age." He waved good-bye to Davina and then left them alone.

Blowing out a breath, Kol shook his head. "Davina, love, will you do me the honor of being my new physical therapist?" he proposed, holding out a hand to her.

Smiling, Davina came over to take his hand. "I would. If I were trained to do physical therapy." She ran her hands through his hair. "Hm. Someone needs a shower."

"Why don't you take it with me?" Kol replied. "Help me with the hard to reach spots?" He tugged her forward and onto his lap.

"I would love to do that. But I'm going to be scrubbing in with Marcel. He's got this patient who has two hearts. Can you believe that?"

"Yes. I can." Kol replied as he ran his hands over her shoulder. Nuzzling his nose under the sleeve of her dress, he pressed his lips to her bare skin. "Isn't there some way I can entice you to stay a bit longer?" His eyes moved to Davina's legs, his fingertips grazed the hem of her dress, stroking her upper thigh.

"I'm sorry. I really do need to go." Davina eased off his lap. Going to the door, she paused. "But maybe we could go out to breakfast tomorrow morning?"

"It's a date," Kol called back.

~0~

In the morning, Kol went through four different shirts before settling on a black button down and pulled out a clean pair of jeans. It was only breakfast at a local place. No sense in getting too dressed up, was there? He didn't want to send Davina running what with all the engagements and babies appearing.

As if on cue, a knock sounded at Kol's door. He groaned and went to open it. "Rebekah? What are you doing here?" he asked.

Rebekah pushed past Kol and moved to sit down on his couch. "What if I said I didn't want to have a baby?"

"Is this a: I'm exploring termination? Or: I'd like to give the baby up for adoption?" Kol inquired, folding his arms over his chest and trying not to dig out his phone to figure out what time it was.

"This is a: Look at Nik and Caroline. They just brought a baby home and they're all Mumsie and Daddy of the Bloody Year!" Rebekah burst into tears. "And look at me!" she shouted at him. "The bloody father tore off his scrub top just last week and walked out of the hospital! And Marcel wants this baby and it feels like he's all in and I'm not sure! I'm not sure what kind of bloody mother I'll be! I don't want to be a mother! I don't want to stay at home with a baby on each hip and one gnawing at my ankle while another tries to chew the cord to the iron!" Her hands flew up in the air as she shook her head. "What is that look on your face!" she demanded.

"What look? I don't have a look on my face!" Kol retorted.

"Yes, you do!" Rebekah accused him. Getting to her feet, she poked a finger in his face. "Same bloody look you have on your face every time you have a girl in your closet, or under your bed when you were a teenage monster. Where is she!" she began to stalk through the house, opening doors and peering around furniture.

"Rebekah, there is no one here!" Kol shouted as she made her way up the stairs. "Davina and I are planning on having breakfast together."

"Oh?" Rebekah's bottom lip poked out. "Can I come?"

"I… I suppose so…" Kol wanted to plunge his head through the wall to his right.

"Good. You're buying," Rebekah told him. "I could eat a cow."

~0~

Davina offered Kol a tight smile as Rebekah downed another Belgian waffle. "So blasted good. Why is it all so good?" she demanded. "Are you going to eat that?" she asked Davina who glanced at the bacon on her plate before shaking her head. Rebekah took Davina's plate and dumped the bacon onto it. "Davina, what would you do if you were pregnant and had a good man who wanted to make a family with you but you didn't know what you wanted?" Rebekah demanded in between bites.

Kol opened his mouth, thought better of it, leaned back and hoped Davina did not hate him after this. Davina looked at Kol and Rebekah held up a fork, shaking it at Davina. "Don't look at him! He's the enemy! He's the type to put one of these in you!" she pointed at her still-flat middle and then at Kol. "Then he'll run off to bloody Manhattan or something to work on socialites' rhinoplasty cases." At that point, Kol would be more than happy to volunteer to help with whatever they needed as long as he could get away from this disaster of a date.

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	9. Chapter 9

Hello, my lovely readers. Life has its ups and its downs and its really downs. On with the show…

Chapter 9: We All Need a Little Help, Sometimes…

_Elijah_

Elijah Mikaelson nuzzled his nose into the bare shoulder of his fiancée. She made a little purring sound in the back of her throat, indicating she was not as asleep as he'd feared she might be after a late night with mother. Apparently Tiffany came down with the flu. Elijah knew it was possible to get the flu—even after receiving the vaccine, and he thought Hayley might need to sleep in today. His mouth trailed down her back and she groaned. Her fingers curled into his hair and her head turned to gaze at him with those warm eyes that he knew he would love waking up to every morning, for the rest of their lives.

"Now, this is what I call a "Good morning,'" Hayley moaned, rolling onto her back.

Elijah grinned and ran his fingertips up and down her arms as he kissed her lips and she wrapped her legs around him. "A good morning, indeed."

"Better than coffee," Hayley muttered.

"Better than waffles?" Elijah teased. "With fresh syrup? Strawberries and whipped cream on top." He kissed the tip of her nose and Hayley let out a laugh, rolling her eyes.

"You're making me hungry," Hayley moaned.

"Let me help your appetite along," Elijah muttered, bringing her leg up to kiss her inner thigh.

"Good idea," Hayley's eyes rolled backwards as Elijah continued to kiss his way down to her knee.

Moving above her, Elijah felt intent on making his lovely fiancée very hungry for their morning meal when the doorbell rang. Hayley's eyes sprang open and her smile turned into a frown. "What the hell?" she cried out.

"Don't worry about it. We'll ignore it until whoever it is goes away." Elijah moved his mouth to Hayley's neck.

The doorbell sounded again and Elijah paused. Hayley let out another groan. Sitting up, Elijah shook his head. "Perhaps I should tell them to go away."

"Perhaps not," Hayley leaned up and shoved Elijah onto his back. "I'm way better at ignoring people. It take a lot of training. And starts with family. And friends. Really annoying roommates. They're in the bathroom. In the kitchen. In the living room. Sometimes they come into your bedroom to talk and bring cookies and then there are crumbs. Total disaster," Hayley said as she peeled off her nightgown and laid down on top of Elijah who already felt distracted.

They began to kiss, long and slow when the door buzzer went off and whoever it was decided to leave their finger on the button. Growling in frustration and anger, Elijah caught Hayley by the shoulders and eased her backwards. "I am so very sorry. But if they keep doing that; your groom will be in jail."

"Okay. I get it." Hayley slid backwards. "And I'll come help you dismember whoever it is." She slipped off the side of the bed to grab her nightgown while Elijah climbed off the end of the bed. He grabbed a pair of jeans and a T from his dresser and headed into the hallway.

Running down the stairs, Elijah shouted. "I'm coming. Just a moment!" He jerked the jeans on and then the T before he flipped the bolt lock and then twisted the knob. Leaning against the doorframe; Elijah's brows came together. He certainly did not expect this scene to greet him.

"Hi, Elijah. I am sooooo sorry." Caroline offered Elijah a strained smile. Then her eyes filled with tears as she rocked a baby on her hip. "She hates me!" she wailed.

"Who hates you?" Elijah asked, pushing himself off the doorframe as Hope began to wail as well.

"Her!" Caroline held the baby toward Elijah like the child might explode. "She hates me!"

"What's going on?" Hayley appeared beside Elijah, her eyes going from Elijah, to Caroline's sobbing form to the going-red-in-the-face infant.

"I can't do this!" Caroline told them. "She doesn't want me to be her mother! You have to take her! You've already had one! You know what to do with them!" Caroline continued to thrust the wailing baby girl at Elijah as the child pin-wheeled her tiny legs.

"Alright." Elijah opened his arms and took the baby as gently as possible into his arms. She stared up at him with huge eyes and stopped crying.

"See! See! I told you: It's me! She hates me! I feed her! I burped her! I sang her a song! I rocked her! I burped her! I changed her! I told her she could have any toy she ever asked for! And nothing! She wants me to disappear!" Caroline's shoulders drooped.

Hayley took Caroline by the arm and dragged her inside. "You look like shit," Hayley announced.

"Thanks," Caroline moaned, running a hand through her hair. Elijah would admit—silently—that Caroline did seem to be at loose ends. Her shirt had baby puke on it. Her hair might not have been washed or combed in a week. Her eyes were blood-shot and she looked as if she had not slept in a month.

"Caroline, this is all very new for you," Elijah said quietly as he felt Hope growing heavy in his arms. Her small fist was jammed just under her mouth, her eyelids fluttered as she drew closer and closer to the land of nod. "It becomes easier."

"Not when your new baby hates you," Caroline muttered as Hayley pulled her over to the couch. The blonde tucked her legs under her. "Klaus makes it look like the easiest job in the world. She always eats for him. And laughs at his stupid jokes. I swear she smiles at him, too. It's not gas!" She threw her hands up in the air and let out a bitter laugh. "I thought I could handle this! I wanted it! It was my idea to have a baby. Now, we have a baby and I just want to take her back. I am a horrible mother!" She threw herself onto the pillow to her right.

"Caroline, you lost a child and this child lost her mother. You're still strangers. You're trying to get used to each other. It takes time," Elijah said quietly. He leaned down and watched as Caroline sat up. Easing the baby into her arms, he watched as she took the child who burrowed into the fresh pair of arms and pressed her cheek into Caroline's breast. "See, you're just overwhelmed. Both of you. Be patient."

Elijah looked over to find Hayley staring at him with a smile she was trying to repress. "I'm going to make us all some waffles."

"Thank you," Caroline called. Then she added. "Please, don't tell Klaus about this."

"Promise we won't," Hayley said, following Elijah into the kitchen. "You thinking about getting into the family advice bus?" she teased him, pressing her nose into the side of his neck.

"Not any time soon," Elijah replied as he opened the fridge door. "I only make appointments with family and friends."

"And fiancées," Hayley added as Elijah pulled out a bottle of milk and a cartoon of eggs.

"Most definitely fiancées," Elijah removed a cartoon of strawberries.

"You've got more of those?" Hayley asked, nodding at the strawberries.

"Yes." Elijah double-checked to be sure.

"And whip cream?" Hayley's eyes were lit up.

"Of course," Elijah said.

"Good. I just wanted to make sure we have all the right ingredients for later," Hayley said with a wink. Elijah loved how her mind worked as they set about the task of making waffles for themselves and their surprise guests.

_Freya_

Stretching her arms above her head inside the on-call room, Freya tried to find her inner calm. She would be in the ER for her day's shift. She'd requested the position. Honestly, Freya just wanted a distraction. After her little slip on Valentine's, she'd noted Vincent Griffith finding anywhere else to be than working alongside her. She had decided that today that would change. They were professionals. There was no need for the drama.

As if thinking his name would make him appear, the on-call door opened and Vincent started to come in. His wide dark eyes widened when he caught sight of Freya.

Freya stood in her sports bra and a pair of scrub pants. "Hello, Dr. Griffith," she said, lowering her left leg to the ground from where it had been resting against the side of her knee. "I'm glad you stopped in here. I requested your service today." She marched over to the lower bunk and snatched up her scrub top, yanking it over her head and then shot Vincent a serious, no-nonsense expression.

Vincent frowned. "I think Lucien's been hoping to get on your service this week…"

"That's too bad. Lucien Castle can find someone else to kiss up to today. Today, you are mine." Jerking a hairband over her wrist, Freya tugged her blonde locks through it and then moved to the door.

Eyes dropping to the floor, Vincent side-stepped and held out an arm for Freya to pass by him. "Right."

Freya forced down anything nice she might try to say to break the ice. She wanted him to know that today he would be treated like a colleague. Nothing more, nothing less.

They went through the hospital before making it to the ER. Thankfully for both of them, there seemed to be a swelling of patients with a mystery illness and this left them with little time to think about anything other than figuring out what the symptoms might correspond to.

"Flu?" Vincent tried.

Freya shook her head. "No. People don't usually break out with the flu. Or I've been dealing with the wrong cases." Her eyes went to a rash on a twenty-year-old woman's arm.

"Maybe they were exposed to something," Vincent tried again. "Perhaps some type of poison oak, or ivy?"

Freya continued to shake her head when her patient displayed a new symptom. The girl leaned over and vomited. Blood. The machines began to beep as if they wanted the attention all to themselves as the girl dropped onto her side.

"She's flat-lined!" Vincent cried. "Crash cart!"

Freya groaned and began to do compressions. If only they could get a handle on whatever these people might been exposed to. The crash cart arrived and Vincent took the paddles. He pressed them to the girl's chest. Her body bounced on the gurney. Freya checked the machines. "Still no pulse. Push epi," she shouted.

The nurse did as Freya commanded. Resuming compression, Freya's eyes went to the monitor. Nothing. "Come on. Come on!" she cried.

"Dr. Mikaelson!" Vincent called.

Freya moved out of the way and he shocked the poor girl again. Twisting her head around, Freya noted the machine beginning to beep at the steady rhythm. Falling back on her heels, Freya grinned at Vincent.

For a moment, Freya felt sure that Vincent echoed her zeal with their win before he peeled off his gloves. "I'm going to check on Mr. Avery," he muttered, turning to go.

"Vincent," Freya called.

Vincent paused. "Good job," Freya said.

Vincent nodded and then turned his back on her. Feeling alone, Freya looked down at her patient. For now the girl was stabilized but without figuring out what made her ill in the first place; she might not make a recovery.

~0~

Sitting in an office close to the nurse's station, Freya typed in various illness in the West and then in the East that any of the patients who had come in the last five hours could have. They had five patients, all with the same symptoms and Freya felt lost. Nothing. She could not figure out what the cause of these people's illnesses was and it was making her grit her teeth. She felt certain they would lose one of these people in the next twenty-four hours if she didn't figure it out. Sighing, she picked up the phone. She hated to make the call, but it felt like this might be something for the CDC to deal with.

Just as Freya began to dial the number, the door to the office flew open. "I've got it!" Vincent cried. He moved across to Freya, perching on the desk. "On my second day as an intern, you told us to always look at the charts. So, I looked back at the charts, hoping that all of these patients had something in common, other than their symptoms and guess what the common denominator is?"

Freya sat back in the chair and waited. "They were all seeing a Dr. Silas. Check this out," Vincent turned toward the computer and Freya slid over for him to use it. Switching to a screen where he could pull up Google; Vincent typed in Dr. Silas.

The smiling face of a young-ish doctor in a lab coat stood with a bright smile. Above his head: Don't Fear. The Lung Cancer Doctor is Here! Freya glared at the screen as she skimmed the information.

"He's selling people on a drug which is killing them. Not helping them," Vincent told her.

Sighing, Freya rubbed her temples. With so many patients coming in with vaping related illnesses, she expected more of these so-called doctors to pop up with "miracle cures." Shaking her head, Freya glanced at Vincent. "It looks like we're going to have to send their drug to the lab and see if we can reverse whatever damage this idiot caused."

Vincent nodded. "I'll go see if anyone brought in their meds."

Turning the chair around, Freya added. "Good job, Vincent."

"Thank you," Vincent replied as he exited the office.

Freya's mind was no longer on her next romance; it was on figuring out to put people like "Dr. Silas" out of business.

_Bonnie_

"Wine?" Phil asked. He held up the still mostly full bottle and Bonnie smiled over the rim of her empty glass.

"Maybe one more," Bonnie replied. She held the glass and watched as Phil poured. The candlelight that danced in front of his face made Bonnie feel like she was in the middle of a cheesy rom-com. And she kind of loved her current life.

After one, mind-blowing night with Philip Walters, Bonnie had given into his ride-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of lifestyle. Today, they were having a romantic dinner out. Tomorrow, Phil might drag her off on a weekend to Napa. With him, Bonnie felt like she never knew what she might be up to.

"You know, I have work to do," Bonnie said, running her thumb over the top of her wine glass and tilting her head to the side, grinning at her lover.

Phil nodded. "Yes. Lots of late hours. Still, so much research to do. You know I plan on keeping you up laaaaattttte tomorrow night." His brows went up as he spoke and Bonnie crossed her legs under the table, sliding her foot up and down the side of his leg.

Eyes widening, Phil leaned across the table. "Bonnie," he said, in a serious tone of voice.

"What?" Bonnie replied, leaning over and her foot stilled.

"There's a woman's foot on my thigh. What should I do?" Phil demanded, his eyes wide and then he grinned at her. His hand went down and her shoe fell off under the table cloth. His finger slid over her arch and she bit her lower lip as his fingers rubbed her ankle and made their way up her calf.

"Can I get you two dessert menus?" their waitress asked with a huge smile. She had impeccable timing.

"No. Thank you. I believe we'll be having dessert elsewhere," Phil replied, not looking away from Bonnie.

The girl did not seem to understand. "We have an extensive menu. And our chef would be more than happy to accommodate you if our menu is not to your liking."

Bonnie moved her foot. "Phil, give the poor girl a break and let her bring the dessert menu," she ordered him with a shake of her curls.

Phil rolled his eyes. "I thought we agreed to have dessert at my place."

"Well, sometimes we have dessert at a nice restaurant," Bonnie retorted. She looked at the waitress. "Thank you."

The girl still seemed confused but nodded and hurried away.

Looking at Phil, Bonnie could not help but laugh. "You are a bad man."

"Give me that foot, again, and I'll show you how bad I can be," Phil replied, reaching under the table and Bonnie giggled as she moved her feet out of his reach.

"Ah, Phil. Good to see things don't change much, no matter how old you get." Bonnie glanced up and gulped. Tiffany Marshall stood by their table. A little smirk on her lips. Her eyes burned into Phil.

"Tiff. How lovely to see you. Here. Tonight," Phil straightened up and smoothed his tie. "You've met Dr. Bennett?"

"Yes. I believe I have. Nice to see you, dear," Tiffany said, nodding at Bonnie before turning back to look at Phil. "Well, I do so hate to break up such a sweet-looking dinner for two. You have fun." She moved to walk past them and head toward another table.

Bonnie found her eyes going over to the table for one that Dr. Marshall have gone to sit at. The waitress returned with the dessert menus and Bonnie inhaled. "Um…"

"What would your recommend?" Phil asked, not bothering to look at his menu.

Bonnie peered over hers at Dr. Marshall who picked up a glass of water. Narrowing her eyes, Bonnie noted how the glass trembled in the woman's hand. Then it fell to the floor. "Oh, boy," their waitress muttered as Dr. Marshall's waitress went over to help.

"Ma'am, are you alright?" the other girl cried.

Dr. Marshall nodded. A smile began to form on her face when her body suddenly shuddered and she fell from her chair. "Tiff!" Phil shot to his feet. Moving across the room, he knelt over Dr. Marshall. "Give me that," he snapped at the waitress closest to him. She handed him a folded cloth napkin and he slid it into Dr. Marshall's mouth, holding her arms still at her sides while other diners stared at the drama unfolding.

Bonnie made her way over to them, attempting to block the view. She pulled out her phone, to make a call when Dr. Marshall grabbed Phil's wrist. Her head rocked back and forth, her eyes were wide and Dr. Marshall was looking at Bonnie. Kneeling down beside the woman, Bonnie watched as the seizure abated. "Don't…call...anyone…" Dr. Marshall moaned.

Bonnie's eyes went to Phil. He helped his ex into a sitting position. "I…have…Parkinson's…" Her eyes went from Phil to Bonnie. "Don't tell…anyone…" Phil did not seem surprised by this news which gave Bonnie the impression he already knew. So, this news was for Bonnie.

"Ma'am," a man in a suit had come to hover over them. Bonnie caught sight of his manager tag. "Is there anything we can do for you?" he asked, wringing his hands.

"Yes. You can get me a glass of Merlot," Dr. Marshall got to her feet, with Phil's help and Bonnie watched as Dr. Marshall offered on-lookers a smile. "Sorry about the bit of dramatics. I'm diabetic. Thankfully, my fellow doctor and his lovely assistant were there to provide excellent care for my condition."

The other diners traded looks before they burst into applause. Phil held up his hands. "We're just doing our jobs," he called to them with his usual confident smile. His hand went to take Bonnie's and she offered their audience a tight smile. Leaning closer to Bonnie, Phil whispered into her ear. "Do you mind if I have a quick chat with Tiff. Make sure someone's going to come pick her up."

Bonnie nodded. "Not a problem. I'll just order dessert." She returned to their table and picked up a menu with shaking hands. This night had changed, and not for the better.

~0~

Thirty-five minutes later Bonnie held a tinfoil swan in her arms. The dessert which had gone untouched in the restaurant and was the only thing she would be holding tonight as she stood on the sidewalk, just outside her own home.

Phil hurried around the side of his car. "I'm so sorry, Bon. I promise, I will make this up to you." He kissed her on the cheek and then returned to the driver's side of his car.

Tiffany unrolled the window to the passenger side. "Thank you for being so understanding, Dr. Bennett." She offered Bonnie a smile which made Bonnie's stomach tighten and her hands curl more tightly around the swan. "Have a good night."

"You, too," Bonnie called back, offering Dr. Marshall a smile in return. She made her way to her front door, almost dropping dessert on the walkway as she dug for her keys. It was once she was inside the confines of her home that Bonnie leaned against the door and slid to the floor. Jealousy had little to do with tonight. Knowing that she had no chance when it came to two people with the kind of history those two had, did.

Opening the tinfoil, Bonnie shoved her bare hand into the cool lava cake and lifted it to take a bite. She nodded. "Still good," she muttered. At least one good thing came from tonight: She had two, ridiculously-priced lava cakes all to herself.

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello, my lovely readers. **

**It's been awhile since I was able to update. So my computer is a mess and it took me nine hours to write this out and then to type it on my phone. Hope you like it. On with the show…**

Chapter 10: The Best Laid Plans

_Davina_

#2 Pencil. Check. Bottle of water. Check. Bag of snack mix for break. Check. Sweating palms. Increased pulse rate. Rapid breathing. Anxiety. Check. Check. And triple check. Yes, it was, finally, that time all med students came to dread-and not a verbal quiz with Klaus Mikaelson: No, something much, much worse...

A hand clamped down on Davina's shoulder, startling her out of her reverie. "Hey! Ready for your boards?" A cheerful voice cried and Davina turned to look at her older sister.

Hayley peered down at Davina with a wide, innocent smile. Before Davina could reply their mother interrupted. "Of course she's ready." Tiffany scoffed with an edge of scorn as she made her way over to the kitchen counter. "No child of mine wouldn't be."

Silence answered Tiffany's commentary. Finishing the process of pouring out a morning drink, she turned to see Davina and Hayley staring. "What?" she demanded, blowing on the steam, her brows knitting over large eyes when a light seemed to go off, one hand shot up, "Hayley, honey, I didn't mean -"

Now, it was Hayley's turn to interrupt. Throwing her hands up, she waved off their mother's awkward attempt at an explanation. "Not a problem. Davina, you're going to be late." Taking hold of Davina by the shoulders, Hayley marched her younger sister out of the kitchen and down through the hallway.

Stopping at the front door, Hayley shot Davina a warm smile. "You'll be fine."

"Thanks, Hales." Davina inhaled, she wished she had as much confidence in herself as Hayley did. Then the exam would pass by and she could get on with the real world work: saving lives.

A horn beeped in the driveway and Davina shifted her bag on her shoulder. "Got to go!" she cried.

"Good luck." Tiffany had come out of the kitchen, to lean against the couch in the living room.

"Thanks, Mom!" Davina called. Turning away from her family, Davina twisted the knob to the front door and stepped outside.

The sun was shining and there was not a cloud in the sky. With more confidence than she'd felt half an hour ago; Davina crossed the lawn to open the passenger side door of Vincent Griffith's car.

"Hey, Davina!" Oliver crowed from the back seat, pounding a drumbeat on the backseat of the driver's side. "Ready for the test?"

"Stop doing that!" Vincent snarled while Davina buckled up.

"Sure." Davina replied with a light chuckle.

"We're pumped, aren't we?" Oliver called to Lucien at an octave that was far too loud, considering Lucien's position next to Oliver. "Aren't we, Vince?" Oliver called out, banging on the back of Vincent's seat, again.

Vincent's eyes widened while his seat bounced against his back. Davina held back a nervous giggle. "Stop! Doing! That!" Vincent snarled before he began to back the car out of the drive.

If nothing else, Oliver's antics were distracting Davina from the test ahead. And, as if someone heard her thoughts, her phone pinged with a text message:

_Mornin,' love. Good luck and celebrations my place._

_-K_

Kol. He ended the text with a party hat and champagne bottle emojis.

Davina's lips curled into a smile. She slipped her phone back into her pocket and relaxed into the seat.

"How about some mood music?" Lucien cried. He leaned in between Davina and Vincent, thrusting his right arm toward the radio dial.

"No!" Vincent snapped, trying to bat Lucien's hand away.

"Come on! This drive is dull!" Lucien complained.

"If you don't stop, I'll crash and we'll all fail!" Vincent shouted at Lucien

Falling back in his seat, Lucien groaned out, "Spoil sport!"

"Child!" Vincent shot back with a glare in the rearview mirror. Davina had the sense that Vincent's irritation was not solely related to Lucien's being a pain in the ass. However, this was Board's Day and Davina could not take the time to convince Vincent to open up. There would be time, later. Today was about passing this exam and becoming a resident, like Hayley.

With that thought in mind, Davina drowned out the sound all of the testosterone-related squabbling in the car and went to her happy place. Bed, snuggled up to Kol, and on day they both had off. And a carton of ice cream. And...

The feel of a hand gently shaking her awake was what caused Davina to snap out of her happy dream. Vincent leaned just inside the passenger side, his left hand resting on her shoulder, "Hey there, sleepy head. Sorry to wake you. But it's time."

Yawning, Davina nodded and grabbed her bag. "Thanks for waking me." Sliding out of the car, she closed the door and looked around with a slight frown. "Where are Lucien and Oliver?"

Lips tugging up in the corner, Vincent rolled his eyes, "They said they would go in and save seats for us."

"Sure they will," Davina groaned. "Guess we should hurry up before Lucien convinces Oliver they're grading on a curve and getting us locked out would improve their scores."

Vincent chuckled and followed Davina inside the doors of the hospital. There was a large sign, by the staircase that directed them up and to the left. They want down the second floor hallway before stopping at the end of a short line of people.

Sliding her hand into her pocket, Davina withdrew her picture I. D. and waited for her turn. A stern-looking man with a clipboard looked at her I. D. and then at Davina before checking her name off. He waved for her to enter a conference room turned exam room for their special day.

"Davina!" Lucien called, waving. He pointed at the seat in front of him and lifted his bag out of it.

Davina came to sit down and felt a pen tap at the left side of her back. Oliver was leaning forward in his seat. "Don't worry. You'll pass." His serious tone made Davina nod. She would.

_Rebekah_  
Sink. Foot pedal. Water. Soap. All the ingredients for scrubbing in for surgery. Inhaling and exhaling. Rebekah Mikaelson stared at her reflection. She looked a little pale. Morning sickness had snuck up on her. Thankfully her stomach felt calm now. Actually she felt quite calm, even, dare she say, happy...  
"Ready to slice and dice?" The quip came from the doorway. Klaus, with his mocking, little smirk.  
"I'm pregnant-not disabled-which is more than you'll be able to say if you do not leave. Now, brother!" Rebekah pointed a long, stiff finger in the direction of the exit. She should have known Niklaus would not let her be.  
Klaus shrugged. "So sorry," he uttered with the absolute lack of sincerity that Rebekah was accustomed to. Pausing, Klaus added, "Try not to puke in the poor girl, would you?"  
"Oh, bugger yourself, Nik!" Rebekah shouted.  
Chuckling, Klaus left the scrub room. Clutching the sides of the sink, Rebekah worked to regain her equilibrium.  
Seconds later, the door to the OR opened and a scrub nurse named Amy, (or was it Angela?) popped her head out: "Dr. Mikaelson?"  
Sighing, Rebekah nodded. "I'm coming." Rebekah strode to the door and entered the OR. She moved toward the waiting patient, a twelve-year-old, who had waited for a heart transplant for two years, three months and six days. Today, her wait was over.  
"Ready?" Head turning to her right, Rebekah found her eyes connecting with Hayley's wide-eyed stare.  
Huffing, Rebekah shook her head. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Her eyes traveled the room. "Anyone else? Does anyone else want to indicate that pregnancy is some kind of infirmity, or that I can not do my job?" Her eyes continued to burn into everyone, "We'll then?" Rolling her shoulders, Rebekah glanced at Hayley, "What are you doing here?"  
Hayley's brows rose. "All the interns are busy with Boards. I thought I'd come in and watch the master at work."  
Smirking, Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Flattery," she murmured. Holding out a hand, she felt ready. "Scalpel," she cried, waiting to feel cold steel slap into the palm of her hand.  
"Am I late?" A new voice called.  
Rebekah growled, low in her throat as a nurse helped Marcel into a pair of sterile gloves. _What the bloody hell was he doing here?_ she thought before spitting out: "What the bloody hell are you doing here?"  
Moving to face Rebekah, from the other side of the table, Marcel gave Rebekah that infuriatingly, charming smile. "I'm here to watch you work."  
"No! No, you're bloody well not!" Rebekah could feel all of her self-control evaporating. "You're here to spy on me, for Nik. You, too, think me incapable."  
"Bekah." Marcel stared Rebekah in the eye. "You've got this. Like, I said: I'm here to watch."  
Taking a calming breath, Rebekah sighed. "Music. Please." Violins began to play and a scalpel was placed in her hand. Eyes going to the girl on the table, Rebekah directed her gaze to the girl's chest and she made the first incision.  
Overall, for Rebekah, cutting into a human's chest, cracking their clavicle and removing that most vital, but, in this case, faulty organ, must be like how a musician felt with an instrument. You tirelessly coax out something living, and beautiful, hoping that the strains of your work will reach farther and farther, and breathe life into being.  
"Right then." Rebekah took a step back, re-entering the here-and-now and waited, holding her breath, watching for new heart take its first beat. Nothing... And the first flex. Letting out a shuddering breath of relief, Rebekah looked around. "Time to close her up then." Glancing to her right, she smiled. "Hayley, would you like to do the honors?"  
"Sure." Hayley stepped into the space that Rebekah vacated.  
Feeling the pain in her back and feet now, Rebekah headed over to the s rub room, entering it and tossed her used gloves in the bin. She rolled her head back and forth until a pair of hands came down on her shoulders.  
"I told you: I was here to watch." A slight pressure in her shoulders and then sweet relief as Marcel coaxed the pain away. "I'm an admirer of your work."  
"I'm sure." Rebekah groaned. Marcel's probing fingers stopped in their work and she groaned in louder, "Don't you dare stop now, Marcel Gerard."  
Turning Rebekah around, Marcel locked his arms around her waist. " How about I swing by your place-after my shift ends-with some food, and a film, and then we finish this," his fingers slid under the bottom of her scrub top, "later?"  
"Sounds quite doable," Rebekah moaned, leaning up to kiss him on the lips.  
"Uh-huh." Marcel stepped back. "Get some rest, if you can." He tucked her hair behind her ear before leaving.  
Rebekah decided to take Marcel's advice and head home. Her body was all ready for a nice, long three-hour nap when she arrived home. Placing the key in the lock and entering, she became acutely aware of not being alone.  
Back tensing, Rebekah moved to the closest closet and opened it before she withdrew an umbrella. Her free hand went into her pocket and she withdrew her cell. She tumbled over the screen and punched in 911. She eased up the stairs and headed down the hall. A light was coming from one of the bedrooms. The door was slightly ajar.  
Steeling herself, ready to punch the "call" button and to pummel the intruder, Rebekah pushed the door open with her foot. What she found pissed her off more than a robber.  
"Tyler!" Rebekah shouted, causing Tyler to fling socks all over the room. Entering the room, Rebekah cleared her screen and the pocketed her phone. Hefting the umbrella, she pointed it at Tyler. "What in the bloody hell are you do ng here? Come to pick up your things? We could have shipped them. Or made a cozy bonfire."  
Hand on his chest, Tyler took long, deep breaths, to calm down and then spoke, "Rebekah, you scared me. "  
"What are you doing here, Lockwood?" Rebekah demanded.  
Tyler moved to take a seat on the end of his old bed. Tugging a sock out from under him, he tossed it on the floor. "I came to see you and to get my old job back."  
"Is this a joke?" Rebekah snapped.  
Tyler shook his head. "I went home. To clear my head and I realized why I freaked, about the baby," he waved at her mid-section. "My dad was an ass to me, and to my mom. And I've always been afraid that I would be a terrible dad, too. But I want to try to be better-for my kid-for our kid. I want to try to be a better man." Tyler stopped and held up his hands. "Wait. I got you something." He got up and looked around before finding his bag and opening it. Pulling out a tiny, blue teddy bear, he walked over to Rebekah and held it out to her. "It works for a girl, too, you know, 'cause kids like these."  
Rebekah took the bear and eyed it. "It's about more than gifts. Fatherhood."  
"I know," Tyler replied. "Whatever you need."  
"It need a nap," Rebekah left the room and went into her own, placing the bear on the nightstand, and deciding not to think about it. No doubt Tyler would skip town before the due date.

_Hayley_

Red wine. Ice bucket. Clean linens. Plate of chocolate-covered strawberries. Minus one man, in her bed. Hayley adjusted her lacy negligee and attempted to look seductive. Hayley and Elijah had scheduled another date which might not happen, again.

With the interns out, celebrating finishing their boards-whether they passed or not-Tiffany spending the evening at dinner with Esther and most of the Mikaelsons elsewhere; they were trying to have some "alone" time.

For Hayley, this meant getting Elijah drunk and having her way with him until their shifts, tomorrow evening. But without the object of her desire present; Hayley was left to eat, drink and be merry by herself.

Finally, the sound of the front door opening and feet coming up the stairs made Hayley cheer up. She plumped the pillow behind her slid one of the straps down and tugged at her bottom lip with her teeth.

When the door opened, Hayley leaned forward on the bed and called, "What took you so long?" The words stopped coming out when she realized she was talking to the wrong Mikaelson brother.

"Kol! What the hell?' Hayley shouted, grabbing a pillow and covering herself with it.

Kol ignored her and came to sit on the end of the bed. "To answer your question: the cab driver took me on the scenic route. Ah, strawberries. May I?" Without waiting for a reply, he took one and bit into it.

"What are you doing...here?" Hayley growled out.

"Came to see Davina. But seems she's out. While gives us an opportunity to chat." Kol popped another strawberry into his mouth.

"Kol, just in case it isn't obvious to you, I am trying to have a romantic night," Hayley waved a hand around the room, "with Elijah, and finding you, in here, might kill the mood. So, do us both a favor. And get out!"

Kol grinned back. "Elijah got stuck in surgery. He should be there for at least another hour, or so. Plenty of time for us to chat."

Frowning, Hayley thought about it. "Fine. Get out. So I can get dressed."

Sliding off the side of the bed, Kol grabbed a handful of strawberries and made his way out of the room. He was lucky he wasn't fully recovered from his accident or Hayley might have helped him out the door, with her foot.

Marching over to the bedroom door, Hayley closed it and locked it. She slid out of the negligee and into a sweater and a pair of jeans. Making her way back over to the door, she unlocked it and went downstairs. Kol had made coffee, and sat, with a steaming cup held between his hands.

"You changed. No need to on account," Kol said with another grin.

Jaw clenched, Hayley shook her head at him. "I'm marrying your brother. And you're involved with my sister. So, yes, I felt the need to change."

Kol waved her off, his eyes scanning the kitchen. "I already think of you as a sister, not a sexual being."

"Thanks," Hayley ground out before taking a seat across from him. "So, what is it that you want to talk about?"

"Davina. Of course." Kol's gaze now bore into Hayley and he had a "Why else would I be bothering with the likes of you" look on his face. This did not make Hayley feel forthcoming.

"What about Davina?" Hayley crossed her arms and placed her chin on her knee.

"Well..." Eyes going around the kitchen, again, Kol paused long enough to annoy Hayley.

"Kol, spit it out! I don't have all night!" Hayley exclaimed.

Kol let out a startled laugh. "Shows what you know." For a moment he and Hayley glared at each other. Then Kol held up a hand. "Sorry. Right. Well, it's my physical therapist, Kaleb."

"I thought this was about Davina." Hayley was already losing track of the conversation as she waited for the sound of Elijah coming in.

"Yes. I was getting to that bit." Kol snapped, testily. "I believe that he's taken an interest in Davina."

"That's nice," Hayley replied, absently. Did she have time to make more strawberries before Elijah showed?

"Are you even listening to me?" Kol demanded.

"Hmm?" Squinting at Kol, Hayley nodded. "Your physical therapist has a crush on Davina. Good for him."

Narrowing his eyes, Kol got to his feet. "I should have known you wouldn't be supportive. Look at your taste."

"What does that mean?" Hayley demanded, shooting to her feet.

"Besties with Bekah. And sleeping with Elijah. Not knowing a thing about him. Treating Davina like an unwanted stray before becoming 'Sister-of-the-Bloody-Year?' Scoffing, Kol made his way out of the kitchen. "You. And Bex. Neither of you have it in you to make anything stick. Soon enough you'll be making drama for yourself."

"You don't know a damned thing about me, Kol Mikaelson!" Hayley shouted, following him to the door. "And you're only deflecting your own problems onto other people. Because you can't get your life together. At least Bonnie Bennett had the brains to run before you screwed up! And if Davina likes this Kaleb guy, good for her!"

"Why don't you plan the wedding?" Kol shot back, jerking the door open and striding out.

"Why don't I?" Hayley shouted after him, slamming the door closed. She fell against it, puffing out air. What in the hell just happened? What was with Kol?

Shaking her head, Hayley pushed off the door and headed for the kitchen when someone knocked. Going back, Hayley opened it, half-expecting Kol to have returned to unload some more fury.

"Elijah?" Behind a bouquet of flowers was her fiancé. Flinging herself forward, Hayley threw her arms around Elijah's neck.

"Hayley, are you alright?" Elijah asked.

"Um-hmm." Hayley muzzled Elijah's neck. "Now that your home." Pulling back, Hayley took the flowers from Elijah. "What's the occasion?"

"You're lovely." Elijah pressed a kiss to her forehead. "That is the occasion."

"Oh?" Hayley chuckled. "You should have seen me half an hour ago." She walked toward the kitchen, in search of a glass to put the flowers in.

"What have I missed?" Elijah inquired, following Hayley into the kitchen. She glanced over her shoulder to see Elijah examining Kol's coffee cup.

"Kol came by. To chat." Hayley could hear the irritation in her own tone and tried to calm down.

"About what?" Elijah asked, coming over and pulling out a glass before moving to the sink.

"About Davina." Leaning against the sink, Hayley clutched the edge, pressing her back into it. "And he also seems to have some opinions of me..." Trailing off, Hayley looked away.

"What kinds of opinions?" Elijah coaxed, placing the flowers in the glass.

"Just that I am a drama queen..." She hated to admit that Kol's words got under her skin.

"And about Davina?" Elijah moved to stand in front of Hayley.

"That his P. T. might be into her." Nodding, Elijah placed his hands in her hips and kissed her on the lips. "Dr. Mikaelson, are you trying to distract me?" Hayley whispered, peering at him through her eyelashes.

"No." Elijah shook his head. "This," he pressed his lips to her neck, "is not a distraction." Pausing, Elijah leaned back. "Kol lashes out. He'll calm down and apologize. Eventually. And it would do him good to have to fight for Davina. He's used to girls dropping at his feet. Enough about our siblings." Taking Hayley's hand, Elijah led the way upstairs.

"Wait! I bought something. Just give me a minute." Holding up her hands, Hayley went to her dresser and pulled out her negligee. "Two minutes," she called, going into the bathroom. Flinging her sweater and jeans on the floor, she slid back into the negligee and fluffed her hair. Looking in the mirror, she paused. What if Kol was right and she became restless? Shaking the thought away, she exited the bathroom, but the fear never really disappeared.

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Be safe,**

**-J**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello, my lovely readers. It's Hayley's and Elijah's wedding day, but would it be without a little chaos... On with the show...**

Chapter 11: It's Not the Day Of: It's Every Day After

**Four Months Later:**

_Freya_

On the day of Hayley Marshall's nuptials to Freya Mikaelson's younger brother, Elijah Mikaelson, Freya did not have a date to the wedding. That did not bother her. She had a solid job, friends and family. However, weddings could make you lonely, and in the past four months; Freya felt lonelier and lonelier. She found herself concocting excuses to spend time with Finn, Sage, and the triplets. Or she would appear on Klaus and Caroline's doorstep, to help with little Hope. And she laid in bed at night, staring at the ceiling and wondering what her life with Jackson would have been like; if he had lived...

The sound of her phone ringing jolted Freya out of her reverie. She picked it up off the locker room bench and stared at the screen. A smiling picture of Caroline's face was lit up on the screen. Freya could guess why Caroline was calling, judging by the time.

"Hello. Caroline," Freya began.

Caroline did not allow Freya to continue. The hyper blonde jumped in. "You're late!" Caroline half-shouted down the phone-line. Although Elijah was supposed to have a heavy hand in the planning of his wedding, Caroline's was made of steel and she threw herself into the position of "co-wedding planner," all but knocking Elijah out of the ring. No one had asked Caroline for the help, but once she had made up her mind, even Niklaus could not dissuade her.

"And you didn't find a date? Correct?" Caroline continued, not giving Freya time to respond. "Otherwise I would have to change your place-setting. Right now, I have perfectly even numbers at the singles' table. Unless, you found a date...?"

Freya found herself smiling in a tight and eerie manner that she suspected might continue through the wedding if someone did not stop the Planzilla. Soon. "I haven't found anyone -"

Again, Caroline interrupted. "Are you kidding me? You're hot! I would go with you; if I weren't already spoken for. Ugh! Let's see..." The sound of tapping in the background ended with: "Lucien Castle!" Caroline let out a laugh. "I heard a rumor you guys hooked up. He's cute. Right? Or maybe I could call my friend, Stefan Salvatore. You'd love him! He's nice. And cute. And single. I think..."

"Car-o-line!" Freya snapped.

"Yes?"

"I will be there. Within the hour. With a date." Freya started to hang up, but Caroline was not done.

"Tell Hayley to get her butt here! Or she'll be late to her own wedding!" Now, Caroline was shouting. "Got to go! That's not where the flowers belong!" She shouted at some poor soul.

Sighing, Freya slipped her midnight blue dress out of its garment bag

This had also been Caroline's choice. All the bridesmaids' dresses were in a variety of the color blue.

Freya made short work of dressing and slipping into her heels. No doubt Caroline would make all of the bridesmaids have their hair and makeup re-done at the church.

Striding out of the locker room, Freya went down the hallway and headed for the stairs. She caught sight of Vincent Griffith standing at the end of the stairs. He looked handsome in a black suit with a tie the same color as Freya's dress. He glanced up from his phone and stared at Freya as she made her way down.

"Dr. Griffith," Freya called to him, with a teasing smile, "you look dashing."

"You look breathtaking," Vincent replied, and looked away, clearing his throat before saying, "You're headed to the wedding."

"Yes." Freya nodded. "Before Caroline sends someone to fetch me."

Vincent nodded. "I'll see you there."

Freya started to leave and then paused. "Would you like to go with me? If you don't have a date?"

The new resident looked up from his phone. "I'm flattered, Freya -"

Freya held up a hand. "It doesn't have to be a date. Just two people who went to a party, together."

Looking thoughtful, Vincent nodded. "Yes. I can do that." He walked to the door and held it open for her. In the parking lot, they linked arms. "Caroline will lose her mind over the seating chart," Vincent pointed out.

"Side benefit," Freya replied and they began to laugh.

"What do you mean: You didn't see Hayley?" Caroline cried, hands on her hips. "This is important! This is the BIGGEST day of her ENTIRE LIFE!"

"Didn't you and Niklaus elope?" Freya asked as the hairdresser removed curlers from Freya's hair and the manicurist finished her nails.

"Yes." Caroline frowned, hands still on her hips. "But this is not about me. This is about Hayley -"

"Exactly," Freya cut in. "And she's probably been pulled into surgery, making an important moment in someone else's life." Getting up, Freya moved to leave the room.

"But -" Caroline cried.

"No, Caroline!" Freya called back. "She'll be here. Now, calm down and go play with your husband and baby."

Striding down the hallway, Freya went into the church, to find Vincent on his knees before the glowing rows of candles. Bowing her head, Freya waited for him to finish. "Ate you alright?" she whispered.

Turning, Vincent nodded, but he looked solemn. "I haven't been to a wedding in years," he said, glancing at all the candles lit along the aisles.

"May I ask: Why? Or do you not want to talk about it?" Freya moved to take a seat in a pew. There weren't too many people gathered close to where she and Vincent were, but if Vincent wanted to talk, Freya felt sitting away from the majority of guests might help.

Vincent looked to the front of the church, his hands in his pockets and his expression did not change before he came to sit with Freya. "The last wedding I went to was my own. My wife, Eva, made the most beautiful bride I'd ever laid eyes on. And I knew I would never regret joining my life to hers." He looked down at his hands. "One day, she goes out to buy flowers in the market. We were having friends over for dinner. Our place was tiny and she wanted to make it welcoming. I made dinner. Eva didn't arrive home. I put on some music. Set the table. Our friends arrived. I called Eva's cell. Voicemail. They call. Same thing. So, we go down to the market-leave a note-in case she shows. Maybe she saw a sale. Or was distracted by an art showing. Musicians. You can lose track of time in this city."

Shaking his head, Vincent continued, "Flower vendor never saw her that day. No one in the market remembered her-and they knew us-Eva stopped by two, three times a week. Sometimes just to chat. I called the police. They gave me the spiel about forty-eight hours. I told them she'd never done this before. I waited. Cops don't care. Just another woman who disappeared one day and never came home."

Freya took Vincent's hand. "You never found her?"

Vincent shook his head. "Nope. But I still check the old neighborhood, just in case she found her way home, or someone heard something, anything."

"You know, I don't think Elijah, or Hayley, would take offense if you decided not to attend," Freya said, quietly.

"Nah." Smiling, Vincent looked around. "I like weddings. They're hopeful. And I can remember the happiest day of my life."

Freya relaxed into the pew. Now, she knew that she was not alone today. She, and Vincent, we're both in love with people they could not be with. And in their pain, they found someone to hold their hands in the darkness.

_Caroline_

Weddings were supposed to be happy occasions. But Hayley and Elijah's wedding was giving Caroline Forbes-Mikaelson a headache. Freya was the only bridesmaid to show up-other than Caroline. And the bride was still missing and the venue for the reception had broken a pipe and the fire department shut it down. Like a little flooding never happened in New Orleans. Caroline wondered, _What else could go wrong_?

Then Rebekah Mikaelson, Hayley's choice for maid-of-honor appeared. "I'm here," she growled, "get on with it." She looked like she'd rolled out of bed and shown up in her PJs.

"Where is your dress?" Caroline examined the expectant mother for any trace of the garment bag with the not-cheap formal wear. "Bekah!"

"So, that's what I forgot," Rebekah groaned, falling into a chair. "Can someone rub my blasted feet? I'm a hundred months pregnant and my arches are killing me!"

"Rebekah!" Caroline said, going to kneel beside her sister-in-law. "Where is the dress?" she pleaded. If Rebekah wasn't pregnant; Caroline would be yelling.

"Dress?" Rebekah's brows rose. "Oh, yes. In my closet. Marcel, or Tyler, should be wandering about." Rebekah waved an airy hand at the door. "I'm sure they can run and fetch it for me."

"Marcel's part of the wedding!" Caroline snapped.

"So am I!" Rebekah thundered, her cheeks reddening.

Caroline took a deep breath. "Did you happen to see Hayley?" With any luck, this was not about to turn into a runaway bride situation.

Rebekah pursed her lips and stared at Caroline. "Yes. She was asleep." Rebekah yawned. "A nap sounds excellent. Someone fetch me a pillow."

"No! No!" Caroline cried. "You can not go to sleep!" She shoved Rebekah's shoulder. "Where is Hayley?"

"At home," Rebekah grumbled and it took Caroline a second to work through that one. Tiffany Marshall's house, not Hayley's place with Elijah.

Caroline stood up. Looking at her team, she gave them orders: "Do not let her go to sleep! I'm going to get Bekah's dress and shoes. And the bride!"

"Caroline?" Rebekah moaned, waving for the irritable tyrant to come over.

Striding over, Caroline waited, "Yes?"

"You smell lovely," Rebekah smiled dreamily and then leaned over to vomit on Caroline's shoes. "Sorry. Too much of something last night..."

"Oh, my God!" Caroline shrieked. The hairdresser grabbed a towel and handed it to Caroline to clean her shoes off. "This is a disaster!"

Rebekah let out a loud snore while the makeup artist laid down paper towels for Caroline to make her way out of the room. She ran into Davina on the way.

"Am I late?" Davina asked, slightly put of breath.

"You're great. Thank you. Don't go near Rebekah." Caroline kept going feeling good about one decision she'd made. Davina, in that peacock blue number, looked divine. It really brought out her eyes.

Caroline groaned when she heard Davina say, "What smells like puke?" Shaking her head, Caroline continued towards the door to the main part of the church.

"Ty-ler!" Caroline shouted.

A number of guests' heads spun in Caroline's direction. She offered them a quick, hopefully, reassuring smile. Tyler broke from a conversation at the same time that Klaus appeared at her elbow.

"What's going on?" Tyler asked, glancing from Caroline to Klaus.

"Rebekah forgot her dress. And puked on my shoes. And Hayley is trying to sleep through her wedding," Caroline told them. "I need you," she addressed Tyler, "to come with me. And you," she turned to her husband and inhaled. "You're perfect." She leaned over and kissed Klaus on the lips. Pulling back, Caroline added, "Keep Elijah calm. Make sure things are moving forward. Thank you! I love you!"

Whirling to leave, Caroline paused at Klaus' words, "Elijah is not here."

Whirling back around, Caroline gaped and Klaus smirked. "Just kidding, love. I'll make sure no one gets out of line."

Tyler dragged Caroline away before she could begin to yell at Klaus.

Pushing clothes she wished were hers out of the way; Caroline found Rebekah's garment bag. Thankfully, the dress was fine. She snagged the shoe box off the shelf above her head and then made her way to Hayley's room.

Tyler came to the door with a sleeping Hayley in his arms. Caroline gave him a long look. "She looked so peaceful. I would feel bad waking her up," Tyler said with a shrug that jostled Hayley's head.

"What's going on?" Sleeping Bride moaned. She rolled in Tyler's arms and fell to the floor. Hayley banged her head on the table which they all used to run into, during their intern days, after getting drunk, or stumbling down the hallway, eyes half-shut after a double-shift.

"Ow!" Hayley shouted, placing her hand over her eyes.

"I always said: 'We need to move the table!'" Caroline shook her head at the nuisances object before attending to Hayley. Eying Tyler briefly, Caroline added, "That's why you wake her up. First." Fixing her attention on Hayley, Caroline eased Hayley's hand away from her wound. "Oh, crap!" she groaned. "Tyler, get some ice! Now!" Hayley's eyelid had turned an angry red. "You'll look great. The makeup artist is first-rate."

Hayley pushed herself to her feet. "What makeup artist?" she looked confused while Caroline listened for Tyler. _Would he hurry up_? she thought. "Oh. No! The wedding!" Hayley gasped, looking quite upset at trying to have forgotten her own wedding day. Caroline was, too.

However, Caroline knew how to power through times such as these. "We've got it covered. We just need to get you to the church," Caroline said as Tyler appeared with a steak in hand. "What is that?" The blonde shouted before letting out a laugh for Hayley's benefit. This could not get worse.

"The freezer isn't working. Everything in your fridge is melting," Tyler told them.

"I have to call my mom!" Hayley cried, turning to go into her old bedroom.

"Nope!" She'll be at the wedding." I hope, Caroline added silently.

_Hayley_

This was supposed to be the happiest day of Hayley Marshall's life. But she was tired, grumpy, and had a massive black eye. She stared at her reflection as a makeup artist tried to cover her shiner and felt miserable.

"It's not that bad," Caroline lied. "Does anyone have a pair of size nine shoes?" There must be a story behind Caroline's bare feet, but Hayley was not in the mood to ask.

"It is terrible!" Rebekah bellowed from another corner of the room. Hayley turned to find Freya and Davina trying to wrestle Rebekah into her teal blue dress. The zipper would not budge up Bekah's back. "Stupid baby! Stupid breasts!" Rebekah moaned before bursting into tears.

"There's my girl!" Philip Walters entered through the door someone must have left open. He made his way over to Hayley. His smile fell when he saw her bruise. "I don't care how long I've known him; no one beats on my kid!" He slid his jacket off and started for the door.

"Philip!" Hayley shouted, getting up to follow him before she and Elijah had matching faces. "Phil!" He wasn't listening. "Dad, it was Tyler! Not Elijah!" she blurted.

"Which one is Tyler?" Phil demanded, looking at them for an answer.

"Little weasel knocked me up. Been at it with all my girlfriends, too!" Rebekah sobbed and then jerked her dress off. "I am a hideous whale!"

Phil continued to the door and opened it to reveal Elijah. "Is Hayley here?" her groom inquired.

"Bad luck to see her!" Caroline shouted.

"Do you know which one Tyler is?" Phil, of the single-mindedness, demanded of Elijah. "Never mind. I'll figure it out. Go. Take care of your bride." He patted Elijah on the back and left.

"Dad!" Hayley tried, finding Elijah blocking her path. "Hi," she greeted him, feeling shy as she examined how he filled out his tux through her one good eye.

Elijah cupped her chin and tilted her face upward. "How did this happen?" his eyes on her bad one.

"Tyler and Care were trying to get me here. I was asleep. So, Ty decided to carry me here. I woke up and fell into that table in the hallway of mom's place. You remember the one you ran into one night and almost woke the whole house up." Hayley found herself smiling at the memory.

"Ah." Elijah placed a tender kiss to her forehead. "This day has been filled with headaches it seems."

"Meaning?" Hayley watched Elijah.

"Well, Kol was drunk when he arrived at the church. And I took him to a café, to sober him up, and he left through the back door. Niklaus only found us an hour ago, at the airport. Kol was headed for more tropical climates."

"Klaus was lying! I knew it!" Caroline swore loudly. "Oh! I need shoes!"

"Everyone, could we have a moment? Alone." Elijah went to the door and opened it, giving the family a none-too-gentle hint to leave. Rebekah grabbed a robe and Caroline snuck out behind Freya, still barefoot.

Once they were alone, Elijah turned to Hayley. "I have an idea."

"Yeah?" Hayley grinned. "Let's hear it?"

"Come with me!" Hayley tugged Caroline back into the dressing room.

"What's going on? Why aren't you in your dress?" Caroline frowned as Hayley pushed her friend into a chair.

"Because this isn't my wedding. It's yours." Hayley watched Caroline's brows rise. Hayley laid a garment bag down and set her shoes down In front of Caroline's. "Be happy, Care," she whispered, hugging her friend.

"But..." Caroline protested. "Who's going to be my maid-of-honor?"

"I prefer man-of-honor." Josh entered the room and Caroline let out a surprised laugh.

"Josh!" Caroline got to her feet to embrace her best friend while Hayley slipped out the door. Elijah was waiting in the hall for her.

"We have an hour," Elijah said. And Hayley took his hand. They set off to find the people they needed and to make a quick stop before returning for Klaus and Caroline's wedding.

Standing in front of the mayor, with their parents acting as witnesses, Hayley offered and accepted a ring from Elijah, and he her. She tried not to cry when she said, "I do..."

A recording of Etta James played over the sound system. "At last, my love has come along," as Hayley and Elijah danced.

"How did you know this was Caroline planning her own wedding?" Hayley peered at Elijah, waiting for an answer.

"She ordered Red Velvet cake for our wedding cake. Klaus mentioned it was her favorite. Not to mention, the very large, very detailed binder she brought 'to help me.'" Elijah spun Hayley out and back "Just the small details."

Hayley laughed until she heard Caroline. "What are you doing?" she yelled at Vincent. "You're at the Singles' Table, not this one. And Freya...What the hell?"

Hayley began to laugh harder as Klaus hauled his bride away. "Let's go even out the single's table." They went to sit with Lucien and Oliver and Elijah took Hayley's hand. Their new rings clinked together as their hands connected and Hayley looked forward to hearing that sound for years to come.

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. :)**

**Be safe,**

**-J**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello, my lovely readers. This chapter will lead us to a very dramatic dinner; when Haylijah return from their honeymoon. Let's see what their friends and family got up to while they were gone. On with the show…**

Chapter 12: They Didn't? Did They?

_Rebekah_

Try as hard as she could; Rebekah Mikaelson could not recall the night she conceive her child. Every time she attempted to, she drew a large blank as to the events of that night. And it was not as if she wished to remember what led to her losing her bloody mind and enough to take her quote-un-quote friendship with Tyler Lockwood into one-night-stand territory. No, thank you. She would live a nice, long life without all the gory details of that one experience. However, she felt annoyed that her memory failed in this regard when she could remember what she ate for breakfast a week later. And it was not as if Tyler was the type of man to drug her or to wait until she was intoxicated and to take advantage; so the reason for the hole in her memories made little sense...

"Maybe the sex was so bad that you blocked it out," Caroline Forbes-Mikaelson not-so-helpfully suggested. She waved a spork at Rebekah with a smile on her face like this was some sort of joke.

Josh jumped in. Leaning over, he smiled, too, and said, "Or maybe it was just 'Meh' sex. You know, the kind we've all had. The kind where you say it was 'The best!' Then you wait until the other person falls asleep and you sneak out. And never, ever, go to that club again!"

Nodding, Caroline smiled at her frozen yogurt. "Klaus is the exact opposite!" She paused and raised her eyes to give Josh and Rebekah a long look. "Last night-after we got Hope to go to sleep-we went to bed and I was so tired, but then he starts trying this new thing with his tongue and I'm wide awake and -"

"You're going to make me urp my chicken salad!" Rebekah cried, eyes on Caroline, burning a hole into her sister-in-law. It was bad enough that Rebekah could not remember the sex she had; she did not need the visual of her brother's.

Pausing, Caroline eyed Rebekah. "Morning sickness?" she almost sounded sympathetic, almost.

Snorting, Rebekah shook her head. "Details of your sex capades causes sickness! Go away!" She waved Caroline and Josh away from their lunch table.

"Sor-ry!" Caroline shot back with an eye roll, collecting her things.

Josh and Caroline got up and began to head off, Josh already beginning a new tale. "Last night, Aiden came home in his scrubs and gave me a sponge bath..." He was saying on their way across the room and Rebekah groaned.

Rebekah felt grumpy and began to poke viciously at the remains of her salad. Marcel had been so busy studying up on a new procedure that he barely noticed her anymore. And Hayley was off on her honeymoon in the South of France. This left Rebekah feeling very lonely.

"Hey there, Princess!" Tyler, with his impeccable timing, pulled out a seat and straddling it. "Why so glum?" he inquired, picking up a french fry and popping it into his mouth. He shot Rebekah an expectant look, brows rising.

Narrowing her blue eyes at him, Rebekah leaned over the table and said as quietly as she could, "Do you remember the sex?"

Tyler choked on his fry. "Um..." Cough. "Bekah." Cough. "I'm flattered, but aren't you with Marcel?" Tyler muttered the last part, peering around the lunch room as if Marcel was wandering about with a buzz saw, intent on performing some impromptu open heart surgery.

Rebekah let out a growl. "I am not propositioning you, you bloody fool! I am asking you if you remember our ONE night together?" She snatched a fry and chewed it irritably.

"Uh? Tyler frowned. "To be honest...no..."

Falling back in her seat, Rebekah folded her arms over her chest. "How is that even possible?" Rebekah demanded. She stared at Tyler's fries until he slid them her way. Picking up one fry at a time, Rebekah spoke between devouring each bit of potato to say: "How do you ever completely block out sex with someone?"

Tyler shook his head. "Even when it was just okay, I remember." He reached for a fry and Rebekah smacked his hand away without looking at him, still thinking.

"Right." Throwing her hands in the air, Rebekah added, "Our sex had to be better than just okay! Yes!" Her voice had gone up and a couple of people at a table close by turned to stare until she shot them a lethal look which made them return to their own pitiful existences.

Tyler looked thoughtful which happened about once a month. Rebekah smirked at her own thought before Tyler opened his big mouth, "Maybe it was so good, it would ruin it for everyone else we ever had sex with. And since we can't stand each other-and being together would end in mutual destruction-we just decided to forget about it!" He was smiling at the end of his little theorizing session while Rebekah seethed.

"NO!" Rebekah shook her head. "It is impossible that sex with the likes of you would make all encounters seem bleak. There's has to be another explanation for it..."

"How would you know?" Tyler demanded, throwing himself forward and jerking the last container with three fries left away. "You don't even remember having it!" He picked up the fries and shoved them all in his mouth. Rebekah rolled her eyes at him in reply.

Then Rebekah smiled as a new thought popped into her mind. "Perhaps it was someone else. Just a random male who appeared and that's why I don't remember, because I don't care!"

"Me, too!" Tyler snagged a piece of chicken from her salad and popped it into his mouth. Then he groaned. "But we woke up in the same bed the next morning..."

Frowning, Rebekah nodded. "Well then, we'll just have to return to the scene of the crime. Try to recall what happened from there."

Tyler checked his phone's screen. "My shift ends at eleven. Think you'll be up?"

Rebekah shot him a look of disdain. "Yes. I'm not your gran!" she snarled.

~0~

At eleven fifteen, Rebekah rubbed her sore neck. She needed to go to sleep. But she would not allow bloody Tyler to make her look like a fool. Stubborn. She had always been stubborn and she would find the will to stay up and to put this mess to bed. Picking up her phone, she glared at the numbers. He had better move his ass or she would have to hunt him down

As if he heard her mental threat, the doorbell rang, signaling Tyler's arrival, and Rebekah hauled herself off the kitchen chair to go through to the living room to answer the front door.

Rebekah opened the door to find Tyler waiting for her. He'd taken the time to change from his scrubs into a pair of freshly-washed jeans and a button-down shirt. "Hey, Bekah," he greeted her, stepping inside. She caught a whiff of new cologne as he moved past her. "How do you want to do this?" he asked, turning to face her.

Rebekah folded her arms over her chest. "You don't think this is a date, do you?" she demanded.

Eyes rounding, Tyler shook his head. "Why would I?"

"Your clothes. And the cologne." Rebekah waited for an explanation.

"Uh. Yeah. Don't flatter yourself. Let's just get this over with," Tyler snapped, looking away.

"And that's probably the exact sentiment you used that night!" Rebekah shot over her shoulder, moving to head up the stairs. She could hear Tyler right behind her. Entering her bedroom, she crossed the floor, and took a seat on her bed. "Does this visual help?"

Freezing in the doorway, Tyler nodded

"Yeah. But you were crying..."

Letting out a derisive snort, Rebekah shook her head. "Impossible."

"No. You were. You were looking at your phone-at old pics of you, and Marcel-and were crying." Tyler made his way over to stand in front of her. He pointed to her nightstand. "There was a barely touched glass of red wine, here." His head lifted. "And you were playing chick music about weddings or something."

"It's not 'chick' music." Rebekah placed a hand to her forehead and leaned back against the headboard. Memories of that night were beginning to fill her mind as she sat with her eyes closed. "You came in and asked me if I was okay. And I said -"

"Bugger yourself, Lockwood," Tyler replied with a chuckle. "Classic." He sat down in front of her. "Hayley had just ended things. It was cool. I knew we had a short shelf life. She was still hung up on Elijah." Leaning over, he tucked one of Rebekah's curls behind her ear and she opened her eyes to stare at him. "We were both sad."

"And lonely," Rebekah inhaled. "You wouldn't leave. I lifted my head, to tell you to go and -"

"I kissed you." Tyler leaned down. Rebekah placed a hand on his chest, holding him back and Tyler straightened up. "Or not..." He ran a hand along the back of his neck, blowing out a breath and let out a quiet laugh. "My bad. So," he nodded at the door. "I'm gonna head out."

Reaching up, Rebekah took his hand and Tyler looked from her hand to her face. His brows went up and he gave her a questioning look.

"We could sleep together. Sleep, as in rest. Not as sex." Shifting onto her side, Rebekah laid down and scooted over to make room.

"Okay." Tyler laid down and placed a hand on her bump. "You know, Mikaelson, you make an incredibly sexy pregnant chick."

"Tyler," Rebekah growled in return. She closed her eyes and added. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he muttered.

And they fell asleep.

_Bonnie_

Staring at the blank white box that was a Word doc with no words, Bonnie heaved a sigh and ran her hands over her face. She'd been sitting on this stool, in front of this open laptop, for half an hour, waiting for the esteemed Philip Walters to show his sorry butt up here. They were supposed to be writing a report on the current conditions of their project. But Phil had yet to show up to the party. And he should have arrived two hours ago. Bonnie figured she knew why he had not shown up. He was distracted by something, or more specifically, someone, and Bonnie felt certain she knew who that someone was.

However, Bonnie was a grown woman. She would not sit around waiting for a man, any man, to show up at her door, or, in this case, their shared work lab. Making a decision, Bonnie closed her laptop and opened her bag. She slid the laptop into the safety of its pocket and gathered her purse. Bonnie stood up and took a quick look around the lab although nothing would need to be turned off of put away because no work had been done today.

Holding her head high, Bonnie strode toward the door with purpose. Hand on the doorknob, she twisted it and pulled the door open, to reveal Phil with his hand extended toward the place where the doorknob had just been.

"Bonnie! Honey! I am soooo sorry I'm late!" Phil said. He stepped into her personal space and leaned down, kissing her on the lips. If she weren't so mad at him, she would be enjoying this form of greeting as his hands went from her back to her ass in five seconds flat. He pulled back to give her puppy dog eyes and she resisted the urge to snap at him.

Leave it to Phil to not even notice what kind of mood she was in when she stepped out of his reach and closed the door behind him. She could be and ding out SOS flares as he blithely piloted his plane past the island she had been stranded.

Phil walked over to a table and leaned his back against it, shoring her his this-always-gets-me-out-of-trouble-smile. "I am taking you out to dinner. There's this new Italian place. Their linguini is _falisimo_!"

Bonnie did not react to Phil's words. "Where were you?" she asked him, arms crossed over her chest.

Phil's smile fell. "Pardon?"

"Where? Were? You?" Bonnie emphasized each word. "You weren't here. Taking care of YOUR project! So, where were you?"

Phil moved toward Bonnie who lifted a hand and shook her head at him. Stopping in his tracks, Phil placed his hands on his hips. "I was with Tiff. Tiffany. She needed someone to pick up a script at the pharmacy. Davina was in the middle of surgery. Hayley's on her honeymoon. That left me." He gave her one of those "Why are you being so unreasonable?" looks that men seem to perfect between ages four to a hundred.

Inhaling, Bonnie nodded. "Okay. And that fifteen minute-in bad traffic-trip- took you two hours... Why..."

Again, Phil stared at her with wide eyes. "Bonnie," he scoffed. "You're asking me why I spent extra time with the mother of my children? A woman who has a debilitating disease? You're a doctor, I'm sure you can come to a conclusion on that front all on your own..."

Jaw tightening, Bonnie shook her head. "It's more than your playing the 'good guy.'" There, she'd finally addressed the elephant in the room. Phil and Tiffany kept finding reasons to spend time together. Bonnie was not a jealous person by nature, but she also wasn't a fool, and did not like it when people tried to make her into one.

Phil let out a sharp laugh and turned his back on Bonnie, gripping the table in front of him. "You sound like so many of the women I've been with. I thought you were different, Bonnie."

That was it. "And that's the problem, Philip! I'm just another one of the many women that you've involved yourself with and discarded when we did not meet your expectations! You think how they feel, or what they need takes second place because you are The Great Philip Walters, and the freakin' waters part for you, don't they?" Bonnie let out a sarcastic laugh waving her hands in the air as Phil turned to stare at her. "Well, get a clue, honey! I'm not just another woman to add to your scrap heap of failure. You, sir, can go to hell!"

Turning, Bonnie opened the door to the lab and strode out, slamming it behind her. At that point, she did not care who heard, or saw what. She also had no idea what her working relationship with Phil would look like after this, but she was done with his games...

~0~

Sitting behind the wheel of her car fifteen minutes later, Bonnie found she could not drive out of the parking lot. Her hands kept trembling and tears wanted to shed but she would not let them. Someone tapped on the passenger side window and she jumped, startled.

Bonnie's first thought was that the person was Phil-come out to apologize for being a tremendous ass-then she looked at them and saw it was Kol Mikaelson.

"Hey!" Bonnie called.

Kol flipped the collar of his jacket up and rubbed his hands together. "Can you let me in? It's beginning to rain out here!"

Glancing outside, Bonnie noted that fat rain drops had begun to pour from the sky like the tears she never shed. She popped the passenger door lock and Kol climbed in, closing the door behind him. "Bloody weather people can't get a blasted thing right," Kol complained, running a hand through his dark locks. After a moment Kol twisted in the passenger seat to examine Bonnie. "What's got you in such a mood?" He waved a hand at the clouds outside. "Walking by to my own car, I spotted you looking angrier than your friends up there."

"Relationship drama," Bonnie grumbled. Her hands fell from the steering wheel and she sank in her seat.

Kol nodded. "I'm having a bit of that myself. Seems my PT has a thing for Davina. We just had another fight. Of course, she thinks he's just being kind, and I think he's trying to get into her pants." He shook his head. "She called me a jealous idiot! Can you believe it?"

"The part about you being jealous? Or the bit about you being an idiot?" Bonnie gave Kol a look with a fond expression that happened to include a smirk.

Kol turned to stare at Bonnie. He let out a quiet laugh. "Alright. You've got me there, love."

"Remember the time you punched a waiter because you thought he was trying to grab my leg, not the menu on the floor. We are banned for life from that restaurant! And I really liked their cheesecake!" She began to laugh until tears ran down both cheeks.

Kol shook his head. "Dude!" He imitated the twenty-something waiter. "What is your pro-blem!" They began to laugh even harder. "Then we went to the grocery store and selected the worst vintage of wine either of us had ever tasted!"

"And we had the best sex of our ENTIRE relationship! Epic sex!" Bonnie found herself grinning. "I had to call in sick for two days in a row because you could not get enough!"

"Me?" Kol shot back.

Kol offered her a mock shocked look. "If I recall correctly." He placed a hand on her shoulder and Bonnie gave him her best serious and sober expression. "It was you who appeared in MY shower, on the second morning. 'Oh, Dr. Mikaelson,'" he began in a high-pitched voice and Bonnie smacked him as he continued, '"I need to give you an examination. The next thing I know, you're on your knees and my brain does not start working until midnight."

Sighing, Bonnie slid down in her seat. "We were happy then."

"We were." Kol looked out the window as the skies opened and it began to pour with a vengeance outside the car. "Looks like we're stuck here, for a bit, anyway."

Bonnie nodded. She turned to glance at Kol. "Looks that way," she said quietly. He looked back at her and Bonnie felt like she'd turned the heater on.

Fingertips going up, Kol reached put to touch hers. She trembled when their skin met and she looked into his eyes. How could she ever forgot how warm they were, like chocolate chips. Her free hand went to his shirt, sliding in between the buttons, the rain pounding the car good as his hand went into her hair, drawing her to him. Bonnie's lips parted and she closed her eyes.

Then she knew. "I'm sorry," Bonnie muttered, pulling back and slid her fingers out of his shirt. Pressing her back into the seat, she stared at the pouring rain.

Kol said, "It's alright. We'll just wait it out..." Bonnie watched the rain. It did not seem as though it would be stopping soon. Her eyes went down and she noted that she was still holding hands with Kol. Gulping, she decided to watch the rain and wait for the moment to pass...

~0~

_Davina_

"And he told me that if that is how I bloody well felt then I should find yet another world-renowned Head of Plastics to carry on with!" Davina Claire shouted over the blaring music and the other people shouting in the club. Lucien Castle nodded as he danced in front of her. Davina nodded, too, a shot glass was held in one of her hands, and the other swung around above her head, creating its own dance moves.

"You should!" Lucien shouted above the lead singer's performance. "You should look around! There are countless people who would happily worship at your feet!"

Davina nodded, closing her eyes, and lost herself to the beat. She could not remember the name of the band, or the name of the club they were in. It was either the name of the color of the Mikaelson's house, or the name of a bird. After her fifth drink, Davina wasn't sure. Opening her eyes, she waved Lucien closer before yelling; "Do you like this band?"

Lucien shrugged and danced in a circle around her. "I fancied the earlier one more."

"This!" Davina pointed at the band on stage, "Is the same one!" Then she cocked her head to the side and squinted. "Aren't they?" She looked at Lucien and they began to laugh, falling into each other. "We should call Josh! Josh would know. He knows all the bands! He used... Oh, shit! Aiden doesn't know..."

Aiden doesn't know what, darling?" Lucien asked as Davina made her way over to a booth and they fell into it.

"Aiden doesn't know that Josh used to date a lot of musicians. He had a thing for drummers!" Davina said, easing out from under Lucien. "Damn it! You made me tell! Josh is going to kill me!"

Lucien chuckled. "We all have a past, don't we?" He moved her onto his lap and Davina brushed her hair behind her ears and composed herself before she slid her thumb across the screen. Moving to her favorite contacts, Davina frowned at the sight of Kol's name. Maybe she should call him, but Lucien punched Josh's name and a pic of his smiling face appeared.

Davina lifted the phone to her ear and waited. The line rang and then: "Hello!" Josh cried out.

"Josh!" Davina began. "I have been having the worst day -"

"You've reached Josh Rouza. Apparently I am out saving lives, or with my super sexy fiancé; so wait for it, and I'll call ya back when I'm free!"

Groaning, Davina said, "Hey, Josh! It's me: Davina! I'm at a club called Indigo which is not the color of the Mikaelsons house... Maybe Flamingo?" She glanced at Lucien who nodded. "'Cause, surprise, Kol and I had another fight about Kaleb who is totally not into me like that! Wish you were here! But don't worry, 'cause Lucien is with me and we're having the BEST time!"

"And Davina can do better than Kol, right, mate?" Lucien called out before the message's time elapsed and Davina hung up. He patted her sides as she got up. "You could do better, you know, love? You're smart. Funny. Prettier than all of these other girls." He waved a dismissive hand at the other girls at the club. You also have all the nice bits." He looked her over and Davina tilted her head back and laughed. "Oh, yes, here's one!" He grabbed her by the waist and began to tickle her.

"Stop! Stop! You're going to make me pee!" Davina shouted, slapping Lucien away. "Shit! I have to pee! I'll be back!" She ran for the bathroom and felt grateful to not find a mile-long line. She went into the bathroom and opened a stall door. Closing it with her foot, she jerked her skirt up, her underwear down, and sat down. Eyeing the graffiti, she noted all so and so loves so-and-so else with all the little hearts. Cupping the side of her face, she dug her phone back out of her purse and slid her finger over the screen. She hit Kol's number and waited.

The line rang four times before it went to voice mail. He was probably in surgery. Ending the call, Davina finished up in the bathroom and headed back out to the dance floor. She found that Lucien had found himself a new partner. Good for him. With a smile, Davina turned on her heel and went to the front door. Lucien deserved to find someone, too.

Davina sent Lucien a quick text to let him know that she would be catching a cab home. Tossing her phone into the bottom of her purse, she walked toward the street, intent on hailing a cab when someone placed a hand on her shoulder.

Whirling on her heel about to punch the person in the face, Davina found it was Lucien. "Didn't think I'd leave you to the grubby mitts of some random cabbie, now, did you? They could be any kind of monster. Better to stick with the ones you know," he teased, holding up a hand and waving for a cab.

A cab pulled up and Davina paused at the door and offered Lucien a big smile. "Good. Now, we can die together."

~0~

An hour later, Davina lay next to Lucien on his bed. She could not get to sleep so she got up and went into the kitchen. Oliver was on a night shift. Vincent had left a note about studying at Freya's. Davina poured herself a glass of water and contemplated the rain pouring down. The weather person had made this forecast up, she thought as she took the time to clean the glass and set it back in the cabinet. Working her way back into Lucien's bedroom, Davina eased the door shut and tip-toed over to the bedside. Lucien looked peaceful in his sleep and Davina climbed into the bed. He did not move a muscle and she brushed his hair out of face before laying herself down on a pillow and closing her eyes.

"Davina?" Lucien's voice made Davina open her eyes. "I thought for a moment that my intoxication caused a lucid fantasy of you being in my bed." He grinned and Davina rolled her eyes and smiled back.

"Nope. I'm real." She paused before adding in a serious tone. "Thanks for letting me stay."

"I should thank you." Lucien reached out and pulled her to his chest, nuzzling her hair.

"Lucien?" Davina called, toying with a button on his shirt.

"Yes, darling?" Lucien replied. "I will happily gratify your every desire. Just allow me a quick cat nap, and I'm all yours."

Laughing, Davina pressed her head into his shoulder. "Why did you leave the club? You could have stayed with that girl you were talking to, but you left..."

For a moment, Lucien did not reply and Davina leaned back to see if he'd gone to sleep. His eyes were wide open and he glanced down at her. His fingers went down to graze her cheek. "You were in pain. And I would be damned if I would allow you to suffer alone." Then he smiled. "And now we can snuggle." He slid a leg between hers and rubbed their noses together until she burst into laughter. "You are such a lovely girl. And Kol Mikaelson should have his ass kicked for hurting you."

"Are you going to kick his ass?" Davina teased.

Lucien nodded. "I would for you, milady." His eyelids lowered and his lips moved to meet hers when Davina eased her head down to his chest.

After a second, Davina said, "I have a lot of really good friends... But you are my best friend. Other than Josh."

"You are mine as well, Davina Claire, and God help the next person who hurts you. I will do them grievous harm."

"Oh, really? Are you going to write them a poem?" Davina inquired.

"You are terrible with secrets!" Lucien cried.

"Read me a poem, Lucien!" Davina cried back.

"Go to sleep, Davina!"

This was answered by a laugh.

**Thank you for reading, faving, following, and reviewing. **

**Be safe, **

**-J**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello, my lovely readers. This is Haylijah' first dinner party as a married couple…it also might be their last… On with the show…**

Chapter 13: Guess Who You Wish Weren't Coming to Dinner?

Elijah

At the end of Elijah Mikaelson's first marriage; he could not imagine being happily married, ever again. However, he also could not have imagined Hayley Marshall and how she would change his life. His new wife stood at their kitchen counter, distracting him with her every move. Such routine work such as peeling apart lettuce and placing it in a colander to be washed became erotic. His eyes traveled over the curve of her elbow while she poured water over the lettuce, lifting the colander to shake the excess water from the crisp, green leaves. Gaze traveling upward, he expanded her bare neck and the tiny pins that held her hair full in place. Wisps of hair did not obey, falling out and down her shoulders. He watched her move to open a cabinet door, the seam of her skirt rising and brushing her bare upper thigh. He could no longer bear not touching this creature in his kitchen.

"We're never going to finish if you keep looking at me like that." Hayley's head turned and her smile made Elijah cross the room to stand behind her. She inhaled quietly before opening a bag of cheese and sprinkling it over the lettuce.

"How can I think of anything else, when you make preparing a salad a lesson in seduction?" Elijah's hands went to her hips, pulling her to him and his lips brushed the side of her neck.

Hayley turned in his arms and took his tie between her fingers, twirling it around and around, forcing him to bend down. Her lips grazed his ear before she said, "I don't think I am the problem, Dr. Mikaelson. I think you lack self-control." She leaned back and stared into his eyes.

"I have a deep sense of self-control, Dr. Mikaelson," Elijah retorted, he looked her over. "But this wife of mine makes me lose it."

"Really?" Hayley whispered, sliding her fingers into his tie and tugging it loose. Moving on to the buttons of his shirt, she placed her mouth to his neck, and said, "How much?"

"This much!" Elijah jerked her on top of the counter. His hands went under her skirt jerking her underwear off and tossing them aside while she undid his belt and pants.

They looked into each other's eyes before Elijah pulled her up, his mouth about to reconnect with hers when the doorbell went off. Not being able to focus on anything but lust for his wife, Elijah continued to move forward. Then the doorbell went off, again

Hayley groaned. "They have such good timing. Rain check?" She eyed Elijah as he moved away from her.

"Of course." Elijah nodded. Hayley hopped off the counter and pressed a light kiss to his cheek. He leaned over to pull his pants up. Going to the freezer, he pulled out a bag of ice cubes and placed in a strategic position.

After a long moment, Elijah felt cooler and more collected. He dumped the tray out and set it in the sink for washing up, later. He moved along the counter, collecting an oven mitt and bent down to check the potatoes au gratin and the _coq au vin_. As intended, the potatoes should be done some time before the _vin_.

A voice made him aware of another's presence, "I'm starved. Will it be done soon?" Rebekah demanded, leaning against the doorframe.

"Soon enough, sister. In the meantime, there will be entrées." Elijah picked up a wooden board with a cut baguette, cheeses for spreading, and a mix of strawberries and raspberries. He and Rebekah made their way into the dining room. "I will return, with the salad and soup portion of the meal, when more guests arrive." Elijah was saying as the doorbell rang again. Rebekah seemed to not hear him as she took a seat and helped herself to several slices of bread and used a knife to smear camembert on her bread.

More guests arrived in the form of Elijah and Rebekah's parents. Esther made her way around the table to stare at Rebekah's middle with a smile. "You're getting so big!" Rebekah's response was to growl through a mouthful of bread and cheese. Her hand still clasped the knife.

With a groan, Elijah plucked the knife from his sister's grip. No need for any craving, this wasn't Thanksgiving. "Hey! I need that!" Rebekah called after Elijah's retreating form.

"Oh, darling. Let me," Esther cried. "Just like she was a girl." Mikael chuckled and Rebekah made another sister growling sound.

Going toward the kitchen, Elijah ran into Philip Walters. "There's my new son!" Holding out his arms, Phil grasped Elijah tightly. "I always thought we should officially be family. And here we are!" Phil patted Elijah on the back. "Brought you a gift!" He held up a bottle of wine, not giving Elijah time to discern the vintage before heading towards the dining room. "By the way, your side door is open. Might want to lock it. Never know who might walk on in."

Elijah felt a headache building as he went into the kitchen. He picked up the salad and a bowl of croutons before heading back into the dining room while the doorbell rang.

Soon Finn and Sage came in with their brood. "Grandpa, what did you get me?" Quentin Mikaelson shouted barreling past his uncle's legs and climbing onto Mikael's lap.

"Quin, it's not Christmas!" Sage Mikaelson called, falling into a seat close to the door. Audrey and Thomas broke away from Finn. They disappeared under the long dining table and Elijah tried not to dweeb on what they might be up to.

Before Elijah could set the salad down a hand clapped him on the back. "Hell, brother! Welcome back!" Klaus said with a huge grin. "Your wife is glowing so I can only assume your honeymoon was a success." Klaus let out a snicker as Elijah narrowed his eyes and set the salad down.

There was a bumping sound from under the table and a cry. "Why did I ever procreate?" Sage moaned as Phil poured her a glass of his wine and Rebekah stared at her sister-in-law, wide-eyed.

"I don't know!" The sound of Kol's voice came from the hallway and he stormed in. Kol glared around the room. Stalking over to Phil, he jerked a seat out and sat down.

"Someone's in a mood. Wine?" Phil said, turning to Kol.

"What?" Kol snapped, making Elijah wonder about taking Kol's knife away, too. Phil held up the wine bottle. "Oh, that. Yes." He nodded until his glass almost overflowed into the linen tablecloth, a wedding present from Davina.

Freya and Vincent came into the room, attracting Kol's attention. "Sister, how good of you to arrive!" Kol called out, having gulped down his glass of wine and having waved it for Phil to refill it. "Shall you be sitting on the sad, single's side, or the nauseating couples?" He waved a hand at where Finn, Sage, and their parents were sitting. Elijah is currently serving bird for us to peek at!" Shooting Elijah a sharp grin, Kol returned to their sister. "And if Bekah doesn't eat it all, we might die tonight."

Rebekah let out a snarl and raised another knife. Elijah had no idea where she got that one from. "I brought wine, but it seems that Kol has had enough," Freya said with a tight smile directed at Elijah. "Shall I take it to the kitchen?"

""Yes, Freya, thank you," Elijah said as he rounded the table to collect Rebekah's new knife which took a minute as she refused to part with this one. Finally, he jerked it out of her grip and forced a smile.

Returning to the kitchen, Elijah found Caroline and a wailing, red-faced Hope. "She won't calm down!" Caroline said. "I'm soooo sorry. I didn't want to bring her into the dining room," Caroline continued as Hope leaned back and sobbed.

"You mind if I try something?" Vincent asked as Freya set down her bottle of wine.

"Anything!" Caroline replied as Elijah turned the burner under the soup off and moved onto another burner.

"Got a bottle?" Vincent asked.

"Yes. In the bag." Caroline nodded at the bag she'd set in a chair.

Vincent pulled out a bottle and went to the freezer. "Do you mind?" He pointed at the freezer and Elijah shook his head. "First, some ice. Then, if you have mint leaf?" Elijah pointed at a cabinet door. Vincent opened another cabinet and pulled out a bowl. He quickly located a fork. "And, now, for the raspberries, you've got those, right?"

"Yes. In the fridge. Left drawer, at the bottom," Elijah said as he poured the soup into a large serving bowl."

Vincent went about mashing up mint leaf with raspberries and then poured the mixture into the bottle. He turned on the cold tap. Twisting it off with one hand; he shooed the bottle with the other. "My mama used to say this soothed me when I was a baby. Still works." He offered the bottle to Caroline.

Caroline held the bottle out to Hope who shook her head. "Please, Hope!" Caroline cried. Hope took hold of the bottle and took a sip, her eyes closed and she began to suck. "It's working! Oh, thank you, Vincent!" Caroline was on the edge of tears.

"Now, that Hope is calm, perhaps we can rejoin the party?" Elijah suggested, picking up the bowl of steaming soup.

"Yes." Freya led the way back into the dining room, and Elijah found yet another problem: in the forms of Marcel Gerard and Tyler Lockwood. Each man had a hand on the back of the chair next to Rebekah. Neither seemed to be willing to relinquish it.

Marcel eyed Tyler. "What is he doing, here?"

Tyler scoffed and shook his head. "I was invited."

"To a family dinner?" Marcel's brows rose.

"It's my kid -"

"Our kid!" Rebekah snapped, stabbing salad with her fork. "Something is missing in this. Can't put my finger on what it is, exactly..."

Tyler tightened his hold on the chair. "Our kid," he amended. "So, I'm an honorary family member."

"Bekah and I are getting married. Guess that trumps honorary!" Marcel replied with a smile.

Tyler let out a sarcastic laugh. "That's not what she said last night!"

"You're getting married?" Caroline called. "What? And why didn't you tell us!"

Hope let out a burp and Kol began to laugh pounding the table with his fist until everyone stared at him. "Don't mind me!" He waved them off, still laughing.

"What happened last night?" Marcel broke his glaring contest with Tyler to stare at Rebekah.

"Elijah, soup, please!" Rebekah called, waving a knife for some reason and Elijah gave up on taking this one away. She would just make another appear in its predecessor's absence. He made his way over to collect her bowl as Klaus moved to lay another hand on the back of the chair that had far too many suitors at this point.

Now, Kol decided he did not want to be ignored. He pointed a finger at their brother. "No, Nik! Bugger off back to the old, couples' side!"

At that moment, Hayley came in with Bonnie Bennett. She looked around, spotted Phil and looked away. Apparently, several couples had had problems since Elijah and Hayley left for their honeymoon. She hoped whatever was going on was not contagious.

"Bonnie, why don't you take that empty seat. The one with all the men folk gathered 'round it." Hayley pointed out the chair that seemed to be the belle of the ball tonight.

Bonnie moved to claim the chair next to Rebekah when a small figure popped out from under the table and climbed onto the chair. Quentin gripped the back and grinned at Bonnie before shouting, "Too slow!" with a giggle.

"Quin!" Finn called. "Come here!"

Quin shook his head. "No!" He slammed his hand on the table.

"Bread? Soup? Caesar salad without bacon bits!" Kol's gaze darkened. "I will not stand for all of this vegan garbage! This is why I buy Meat Lover's pizza after dinner at Freya's!" He pushed his chair out. "There must be bacon bits in this house, somewhere! Let's go seek them out! Who is with me!" He drunkenly slid off the side of his chair and made for the hallway with a spoon in hand. Thank God, it was not a knife!

"Are we late!" Davina's voice made Elijah aware that she had arrived. She stood beside her mother. "Your side door is open," she added.

"That's what I forgot!" Hayley left the room, abandoning Elijah to their combined family and friends.

Tiffany seemed bored and went around the "couples' side" of the table. "What did I miss?" she asked Esther and Mikael.

Davina turned and seemed to register Kol standing a foot in front of her. "Kol, did your phone die?" she asked.

A choking sound came from the table and Elijah saw Bonnie Bennett set her soup spoon down. "Are you alright?" he called. Bonnie held up a thumbs up in reply.

Kol' voice dragged Elijah back to the other drama. "No. I was otherwise occupied."

"What does that mean?" Davina asked, her voice hollow.

Elijah had no idea what to do; so he left the room. The potatoes might be burning. He entered to find Hayley. She had removed the au gratin from the oven. Her head rose when Elijah came in. "What is going on, out there?" she asked him, her voice raw. Her hands were clenching the counter behind her. All Elijah wanted to do was gather her into his arms and hide in their kitchen until their guests left

"I have no idea," he answered her question instead.

Hayley nodded. "Right. Well, it's time to serve the next course." She grabbed the oven mitts and picked up the steaming dish. Stalking past her husband, Hayley disappeared into the hallway. Elijah felt he had no choice but to follow her.

Back inside the dining room, there were still guests without who had not sat down, Kol and Davina were still arguing about what happened earlier that night as well as Tyler, Rebekah, and Marcel. The triplets seemed to be the only ones having fun, tossing salad leaves at each other while Finn tried, and failed, to stop them.

A bang sounded as Hayley set the dish down. "Potatoes, everyone! Hope you like 'em!" She stormed over to her father, took his bottle of wine and stalked out of the room.

"Bacon bits!" Rebekah called out. "Kol's right, for once. Elijah, be a dear, and get me some!"

"We don't have any," Elijah replied.

"That's what the store is for!" Rebekah waved him off and Elijah stalked out of the dining room and went through the side door and to his car. Maybe if he wished hard enough; they would all be sent to another dimension.

Hayley

What is it about parties where someone always got drunk and said stupid things to everyone else, someone ended up crying, and the host ended up hiding in her own kitchen? Hayley's hands went into her hair and she viciously tore pins out and gritted her teeth as she pulled hair out, too. Reaching out, blindly, she decided to be all three versions as she lifted her dad's wine bottle to her lips and took a long sip. Her eyes were burning and she wanted to scream.

Why had she and Elijah thought this was a good idea? Bring their nutty families together so, what, they could tear each other apart? She laughed, bitterly, and took another, longer sip.

"Hey." Davina came into the kitchen. "Sharing is caring." She offered Hayley a wan smile and moved to slink down on the floor beside her big sister. Hayley handed the bottle over and ran a hand through her hair. Davina took a sip and then turned to Hayley. "Are you okay?"

Hayley grimaced. "I could ask you the same thing. You and Kol seem to be having an off moment."

Davina twirled the bottle between her hands. "I don't even know if there is a 'me and Kol,' after last night..."

Hayley frowned. "What happened?"

"We had a fight. You know, because he thinks Kaleb -"

"The cute Physical Therapist guy -" Hayley stopped herself, but couldn't help but grin. "I'm married, doesn't mean I can't appreciate."

Davina rolled her eyes. "Well, Kol seems to think I have been more than appreciating. We got in a big fight. I went out with Lucien, and ended up spending the night -"

"Wait! You slept with Lucien! Lucien Castle-Lucien?"

NO!" Davina held up her hands and waved them. "No! No! Slept. I went to sleep in his bed. We did not have sex!" She hesitated, "But I tried to call Kol. He didn't pick up, or call back, and I think he might have had sex with someone else..."

"Who had sex with someone else?" Tyler came in and took a seat on the floor on Hayley's other side. "Give!" He waved for Davina to hand him the bottle.

"No one!" Hayley snapped.

Tyler nodded and took a swig. "Story of my life. In case anyone asks, I slept with Rebekah, again..."

"You what?" Hayley smacked his arm and he placed his hand to his mouth as wine dripped from around the bottle at his lips. "HEY! Don't hit a guy mid-drink!" He glanced at his shirt which remained unstained.

"Don't keep "ducking" up my best friend's life!" Hayley yelled at him. She took the bottle away and hugged it to her chest. "We all have enough problems."

"Yes, we do!" Davina took the bottle and took a swig.

"You know what we do have? We have Elijah's _coq au_ _vin_!" Hayley pushed herself to her feet and headed for the oven. Picking up the oven mitts, she bent to open the door when someone let out a shout.

"Step away from the vin!" Caroline shouted.

Davina and Tyler held up their hands. "Not you! You!" Caroline stared at Hayley who turned to stare at the blond. "Everyone, back in the dining room!" She waved them out of the room. "Shoo!"

Re-entering the dining room, Hayley felt it strange to find it so quiet. Everyone was seated and were eating. Even Kol had calmed down. For now.

Hayley took a seat at the end facing where Elijah should be. She opened her mouth to ask where her husband was when Elijah came in and stalked over to Rebekah. He dropped a bag in front of his sister and went to claim his seat.

Seconds later, Caroline came in with the _coq au_ _vin_ while Elijah served himself from the food he'd worked so hard on. She gave everyone other than Elijah a warning look and began to take plates, placing servings on them and then taking a seat next to Klaus.

Hayley looked to Elijah, catching his eye and smiled. Maybe they could have dinner parties, after all. They just needed to invite Caroline to keep people in line.

~0~

An hour later, Hayley and Elijah were back in the kitchen. He was at the end of fixing petit fours. Icing dribbled down along his fingers. Hayley took one of his hands and placed his index finger in her mouth, licking the icing free. Elijah groaned and placed his hand on her lower back. "We need to install a lock in the kitchen door," he said, pulling his finger out of her mouth.

"Or we just need one of us to play Look Out!" Hayley dropped to her knees and undid his pants.

Elijah groaned. "I'm not going to finish their desert."

"They've been naughty. They don't deserve any," Hayley relayed before returning to her work.

~0~

"Ah look, desert's finally done. Thought you were in there doing something indecent," Kol mused, twirling the stem of his wine glass.

"Kol!" Esther snapped in a warning to which her son rolled his eyes.

"Cake!" The triplets shouted, drumming on the table top.

"Stop!" Finn said. His wife slumped into his side with a loopy smile.

"Where is my mom?" Hayley stared at the empty chair next to Esther's, ignoring everyone else.

Most of the guests looked at each other before Phil spoke up. "Tiff went to the bathroom."

Bonnie let out a sigh. "Thank you for dinner, Hayley, but I think I should be going. I have an early shift tomorrow." She got up from her place between Marcel and Tyler and moved to leave the dining room. Hayley noted her father not getting up to join his girlfriend. Instead, he refilled his glass.

"We want CAKE!" The triplets cried in unison.

"Elijah's work on it," Hayley said, her attention split between her niece and nephews, and her parents. "Excuse me. I'm going to go check on my mom..." She moved to leave the room when Esther rose from her seat.

"You haven't been able to enjoy your party, dear. Let me check on your mother." Without waiting for an answer, Esther left the room.

Hayley sighed and looked at the party she was supposed to be enjoying. "Sorry, Hales. I think I'm headed out, too." Tyler said. "But you want to send Davina-with some cake-that would be cool."

"Davina?" Hayley looked to Davina as Tyler left the room.

Davina sat beside Mikael and played with her plate. Kol got to his feet. "You're spending the night with Lockwood?" He rolled his eyes and made his way out of the room. Davina got up to follow him and Hayley could hear them yelling at each other in the hallway.

"You're the one who spent the night with someone else!" Davina shouted.

"Mikael!" Esther came back into the room. "Can you come help me with something?"

"Is it my mom?" Hayley asked, moving to leave.

"Hayley, can we talk?" Phil called patting the chair that Kol had vacated. Hayley pursed her lips but went to sit with her father.

"What's going on?" Hayley asked him.

Phil shrugged. "Do you know what salad dressing Elijah used?"

Hayley stared at her father like he'd lost his mind when Sage interrupted their lack of a moment.

Giggling, Sage took Finn by the shirt collar. "I want sex!" She attempted to pull him under the table. What was with her side of the family and under the table activity?

On cue, Mikael came in. "Phil... Esther and I are debating the ethics of surgical procedure without anesthesia... Thoughts?"

"Insane!" Klaus called out, banging on the table.

"Obnoxious!" Rebekah replied, her hand in a bag of bacon bits.

"You're getting bigger and bigger!" Klaus taunted. "Sage didn't eat as much with the triplets!"

"She raided the fridge at midnight!" Finn shared as Sage jerked him under the table. "Help me!"

Everyone ignored Finn. "Bad drunk!" Rebekah snarled. She got up and walked out of the room. "Where is the cake!" she could be heard yelling.

"I'll be back..." Hayley eased out of the room as the dining table began to thump.

"Oh, dear God! They are not! Run, children! They're making you another sibling!" Klaus shouted and the triplets laughed.

Hayley ran for the stairs, and came to stand a few feet from her own bedroom...she could hear voices coming from inside. Also, part of most parties: guests who went into your bedroom.

"You can't just leave!" Phil said.

"He's right. For once." Esther added.

"The girls still need you." Phil, again. "I need you, Tiff."

The mother let out a quiet laugh. "Oh, Phil, you idiot. The girls need you. This is your opportunity to be a parent. And to allow yourself to love someone and be loved. Stop self-destructing. And stop using me for an excuse. I have dealt with this illness long enough on my own. I will be fine."

"Tiffany!" Mikael broke in.

"No! I've made up my mind -"

"Hayley, Klaus just -" Caroline's voice made the conversation stop.

Hayley took off past Caroline and down the hallway. She did not stop until she made it into the kitchen. Elijah stood with a platter in his hands. All of his cakes were glossy and perfect, just like him. Hayley burst into tears.

Elijah set the platter down. "Hayley, what is the matter?" He crossed the floor and took her in his arms.

Pulling back, Hayley stared at him. "You know that I love you and I can not get through this life without you?"

Elijah seemed confused. "I wouldn't wish for you to, but you are strong -"

Hayley clapped a hand over his mouth, silencing him. "Promise me that if you're ever get sick or your get hurt, you will fight to come back to me! You won't give up! You won't leave! Promise me, Elijah Mikaelson!" Hayley watched Elijah nod.

"I promise." Elijah's words quieted her fears, and Hayley pressed her lips to his, holding on tight. She needed him far more than he could possibly know.

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Be safe,**

**-J**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello, my lovely readers. This chapter is a little darker than most, and this is my nod to Halloween; so we're getting a little horror-ific! On with the show…**

Ch. 14 She Vanished One Night

_Davina_

Just another night shift. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Davina Claire liked the night shift at New Orleans Grace Hospital better than the majority of her fellow doctors. The chaos of the day dissolved into quiet as visitors left, staff became limited and patients attempted to rest. Right now, Davina sat behind the counter of the ICU. A glowing computer screen stared back at her. She had charts to finish typing up and then she could work on studying up on procedures. It would keep her mind off her break-up with Kol which still did not seem real. But if she stayed focused on work; she would get through the night. Then she could go home and sleep, until the next shift, which would begin in less than twenty-four hours.

Davina's attention was drawn towards the sound of a gurney's wheel on the linoleum tile. The soft noise was one of the only sounds in the empty hallway. She exchanged a quick glance with the nurse on duty, who sat in front of a computer that monitored the patients' vitals. They both turned back, to watch in silence as Dr. Bennett and an officer from NOLA PD moved along either side of the gurney. Clank. Clank. Clank. Eyes finding the source of the clanking, Davina gulped. The man on the gurney had been handcuffed to the railing. Davina had never experienced being on a floor with a suspect or a prisoner.

Dr. Bennett opened a door to an open room, two doors down from the desk, and returned to the end of the gurney to push it inside the room. The officer went in behind her and let the door close behind them.

"Got to love working the holiday shifts." The nurse rolled her eyes and wrote something down on a pad of paper with a pen. It made a scritch, a scritch sound as the pen moved over the paper.

Holiday? Then Davina remembered it was Halloween. Or it would be in an hour. She shivered. When she was a kid, she liked Halloween, but as she grew up, she could not help but notice how any stories involving women being terrorized by some jackass, in a mask, with a weapon. Didn't seem so fun when you put them in that context. Although she did like chocolate.

The door opened and Dr. Bennett left the room where their new patient lay. The officer came out, too, and they moved down the hallway to confer about something Davina could not catch. Then the officer returned. He took his place outside the door and Davina tried not to stare.

The officer looked at Davina and nodded before going over to the desk. "You don't happen to have a magazine, or something, do you?"

"No. But I do have the latest Tom Clancy novel."

"That'll work. Thank you." He drummed his fingers on the desktop. Tap. Tap. Tap. Zip, went the nurse's bag as she opened it and withdrew the book. Tipping his cap, the officer went back to his post.

The nurse got up. "Well, it's time for my break. Call the kids. Make sure they didn't eat the trick-or-treaters' candy. Get a snack and a cup of joe. Dr. Claire, you need anything?"

"No. I'm fine. Thank you." Davina smiled and returned to her work.

After ten minutes, Davina felt how heavy her eyes were becoming. Yawning, she rubbed the back of her neck. Coffee. She needed coffee. Good thing there was a machine in the lobby, just around the corner.

Getting up, Davina grabbed her purse. She walked around the desk and nodded to the officer. "I'm getting a coffee. Would you like one?"

"No. Thanks. Had plenty before I got here."

"Okay." Davina headed off and down the hall. Turning the corner, she confronted her old friend, Mr. Coffee Machine. He'd gotten her through many a shift. Her eyes went down to the C3 that would offer her a hit of cappuccino. Removing two, crisp dollar bills, she slid them into the machine, and hit the buttons. They made beep, beep sounds before the machine came to life with a whir and then a cup went plop. The gentle slosh of coffee pouring into the cup and drip, drip concluded its work.

Davina bent over to push the plastic door open and slid the coffee out with care. Both her hands cupped the warm paper and she blew on the steam rising into the air as she turned back around the corner. Her eyes went up at the sound of an angry: BEEP, BEEP, BEEP. It came from the nurse's side of the desk.

Hurrying down the hallway, Davina forgot all about the still hot liquid in the cup. In her rush, she caused coffee to splatter her fingers. "Ow! Shit!" she cried as she made it to the computer. She could see that a flash of red accompanied the beep sound. Someone needed help. Her eyes widened at the sight of which room the alert came from. 391. The room where their newest patient lay.

Eyes moving upward, Davina felt her heart pound in her chest. The officer was no longer at the door. But she had an obligation to check on the patient, NO matter who the patient was, or what he might have done.

Davina grabbed a couple of tissues and dried her fingers, setting the cup down and then made her way toward the door. She shoved her hand into her pocket. It curled around a pen which she clicked open. She knew where to stab someone if the man tried anything stupid. She would not end being one of those helpless girls in the movies.

Fingers wrapping around the cool, metal handle of the door, she heard it click open and then she eased it open as quietly as she could. One foot moving in front of the other, she slid the curtain open and hated the scrape of metal on metal as the hooks drew over the rod. So loud. A sigh of relief left her when she saw that the man was not only asleep; the small device that went over his end of his finger had fallen off. He was in distress.

All Davina had to do was replace the device, and leave. Checking to make sure his handcuffs were still in place, Davina leaned over and picked up the device. She stood up and let out a cry when she found that not only was he awake; he was staring at her.

A slow smile appeared on the man's face. "Sorry. Didn't mean to scare ya."

"It's fine." Davina forced a chuckle. "I just thought you were asleep. Um. Your monitor fell off."

"This thing?" His blue eyes went to the device and he waved it at her, his handcuffs clanging against the hard, plastic rail. "Yeah. Can't take a little nap without having it fall off." He laughed. "Don't mean to trouble a pretty, young thing such as yourself." He shot her another smile. "You must have big plans for the holiday. Get together with your friends, or some boy?"

"I'm actually planning on getting through my shift and going to sleep." Davina said, her hand went back into her pocket, tightening around the pen and she smiled.

"Yeah? Cher?" Shaking his head, the man stared at Davina. "That is a clear waste. You should be enjoying your time. None of us knows how long we have." He let out another laugh which turned into a violent cough. The handcuffs clinked as he tried to lean away from Davina and shook his head. "Could I trouble you for one more thing..." His eyes narrowed, "Dr. Claire?"

"Sure." Davina nodded.

"Could I have a glass of water?" He looked to the foot of the bed, where a plastic jug of water sat on a sliding, wooden table.

"Not a problem." Walking over to the jug, Davina kept one eye on the bed as she picked up the jug and poured out a glass of water. She picked up the hard cup and walked back over to the man in the bed. Placing it to his lips, she watched as he gulped the water down.

"You are kind, Dr. Claire. You remind me of my baby sister." Eyes darkening, the man looked downward.

Davina moved to place the empty cup back on the table. "You're welcome." She stood for a moment. "I'll be outside, if you need anything. Just hit the button." She nodded at the emergency device that lay beside him. He smiled in reply.

Davina felt better as she exited the room. She'd made it through her first encounter with a patient in handcuffs and could tell others that it wasn't nearly as scary as she thought it would be. Maybe he didn't even do what he'd been accused off. Plenty of people were wrongfully incarcerated, every day.

Sitting back in the chair, Davina pulled put her phone. It looked like she had a message on her voicemail. Punching the number, Davina felt like an idiot as it beeped and the recording told her: "You have one, unheard message." There was another beep and Davina remembered her coffee. She frowned and got up to get it. Waking over to the desk, she leaned over, and picked it up. Her eyes went to the computer. Everything was fine in room 391. Turning her back, she listened to the message and took a sip of her coffee. "Davina, it's me, Hayley. We need to talk about mom. Call m-"

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. Davina pulled the phone back from her ear, trying to see why it had begun to beep. Then she realized it was not her phone. "I need something else from you, chère." Hands full of cell phone and coffee that was no longer hot enough to be a weapon, Davina opened her mouth to scream when a hand clamped over it. She heard her phone go: Clunk. The coffee went: Splash, as a panting sound filled her ears and fingers closed over her nose, making her incapable of taking a breath. "Oh, Dr. Claire, you've got a full dance card, tonight," was the last thing Davina heard before she passed out.

_Kol_

Phone beeping much louder than need be, it made Kol Mikaelson reach in his pocket while glaring at the clock. He was meant to have finished his shift two hours ago, but one of the infernal interns made a mistake in a chart that Kol had to tear into them about. Now, he would be late to travel The Quarter, to see what kind of merry mayhem early festivities would bring about.

Grumbling, Kol looked at his phone's screen and did a double-take. "What the bloody hell is a Code Silver?" He glanced at Aiden who had also taken out his phone and frowned at the message.

The nurse pocketed his phone. "It means that there is someone with a weapon on the premises, or someone had been taken hostage." As if on cue, a number of beeps went off, Kol watched as another nurse hit the elevator button, to no avail. People stood outside the doors to the lobby, staring at them, helplessly. Security guards came through the stairwell. "Everyone, please, stay calm!" One of them called out.

"I have to go find Josh." Aiden took off for the stairs before being stopped by security. He showed them his badge and one of the two men led him through the doors leading to the stairs.

Kol rolled his eyes. Most likely this was a false alarm. He yawned and watched as the remaining security guard began to ask for ID. Returning to his phone, Kol scrolled through his list of contacts. Just on case it turned out to not be a false alarm, he might as well text his family. Bekah. Caroline. Then Davina's name came up. Kol inhaled and went past it. Freya. Finn. Elijah. Klaus. Mother and Father. His thumb slid back up the screen, to make sure he did not miss someone. Davina, again. Ah! Bonnie. Complete.

Kol started to place his phone back inside his lab coat when a tiny twinge went off in his brain. He tried to bury it, but it was growing with each passing second. Rolling his eyes, Kol took out his phone and punched Davina's name. The line rang, twice, and then went straight to voicemail. She'd blocked him. Well, that told him all he needed to know. He dropped his phone into his pocket and leaned against the counter.

"ID, please." The security guard stood in front of Kol who scoffed and pointed at his badge. "As in Mikael Mikaelson," he couldn't help snapping.

"Sorry, sir. I'm new, and this is procedure." Before Kol could make another snide comment, someone tapped on the lobby doors. The security guard went to them and Kol followed, just to have something to do.

The man outside wore street clothes but placed a badge to the glass. Cop. Wonderful. Kol strode off and went back to leaning.

"Have you heard from Davina?" Lucien Castle called, hurrying over to stand in front of Kol. The resident had his arms crossed over his blue scrub top.

Eyes rising, Kol smirked. "No."

"She hasn't been answering her phone. Did you try her, too?" Lucien's words were boring into Kol, who could feel himself beginning to seethe.

"Yes. As matter of fact, I did, but seeing as I have a life; I do not fall apart the moment a girl does not reply." Kol watched Lucien stare at him.

To make matters worse, Kaleb Westphal appeared. "Kol, I could use your help with something."

"I do not know where Davina is." Kol retorted as his phone let out a beep. He pulled it out. Caroline.

_Klaus and I are okay._

Beep.

_So are Elijah and Hayley._

Beep.

_Your parents are babysitting the triplets. So, not okay, but not, not okay._

Beep

_Finn and Sage at dinner._

Beep

_Freya is not answering._

Beep

_Hayley and Elijah are going to check on Freya._

Beep

_Freya texted Klaus. She's fine. Going back to sleep. Freya. Not me._

Beep

_Have you seen Josh? And Aiden?_

Kol texted:

_Saw A. He's going to find J._

Beep

_Thanks._

_-Care_

As soon as Kol got done with his texting, he looked up to see that both Lucien, and Kaleb were still there. "Go! Away!" He attempted to shoo them off with a wave of his hands.

Lucien's arms dropped. "She has the night shift, you know? Which means she's here, somewhere! Don't you think we should try to find her?"

"Shocking news, Lucien!" Kol grinned. "We live in the twenty-first century in which the womenfolk fend for themselves. I'm sure she'll get back to you. If she wants to..."

"Kol, there's a patient with a burn. She's in the ER. I thought you might want to take a look." Kaleb stated all of this calmly while Kol stared at him.

Kol gave Lucien a long look. "Sad to say that a physical therapist knows better about how to prioritize than a surgical resident." Pushing off the desk, Kol strode towards the ER.

There was, in fact, a woman with a burn. She sat on a gurney, cloth towel wrapped around one hand. If this was a bad burn, she would regret using the towel. It would be tearing her skin off and Kol would have to remove the excess bits before the real work began.

"Good evening, miss." Kol pulled a stool up and flashed her a winning smile. "How bad is the pain?"

She shrugged. "It hurt pretty bad when it happened. Now, it stings like a mother. Sorry. Language."

Kol laughed. "I'm the head of plastics, and, trust me, I've heard much worse." He grabbed a pair of gloves. "And you might be calling me worse, by the time I get done here." He nodded at her. "Right now, I am going to tease this bit of towel off, to see what, exactly, the damage is..."

"Alright," she nodded, her face screwing up as he began to take the towel off.

A smile appeared on Kol's face. "I have good news. This is a superficial wound. Or a first-degree burn. We'll just clean it out, bandage it up, and you have Advil, at home, yes?" She nodded. "Good. I'll make sure a nurse gives you a packet before you leave. No need to have to feel this while it heals up." He patted her good hand.

"Thank you." The woman had tears in her eyes. "I grabbed a skillet, when it was still on the burner, without a glove, because I thought I saw man on my balcony." She lifted her good hand to brush away tears. "I screamed and when I turned back; he wasn't there. And I managed to do this!" She held up her hand, and shook her head. "So stupid."

"You're not stupid. A fool decided to give you a bit of a scare for the holiday."

"I called the police. Don't know if they caught him-"

"Kol!" Lucien. Again.

"What?" Kol snapped as Lucien shoved his phone in Kol's face.

"Davina! She texted me!" Lucien cried.

"Good for you," Kol muttered.

"She wrote: Harry eats liver, Pal! She'd mentioned getting a cat-"

"I have work to do!" Kol snapped at Lucien.

"There is NO Harry! It's sayin P!" Lucien took hold of Kol's lapels. "She's been taken, you fool!"

"Get your hands off me!" Kol snapped, jumping to his feet.

"You should go!" The patient advised.

"You said it's a minor injury. I can take care of it." Kaleb looked at Kol calmly.

Frowning, Kol looked at Lucien. "Fine. And, you," he pointed at Kaleb, "be careful. I will be back to check on your handiwork. You," he addressed Lucien. "Come with me." Leading thr way back to the lobby, Kol paused. A uniformed officer and the detective from before stood off to the side.

"I needed to go to the bathroom," the officer said, looking ashamed. "They told me he was out cold."

The detective ran a hand through his short, blonde hair. "Yeah. And the girl?"

"Gone. Came back. She hadn't come back from her coffee run-I thought... I thought she didn't. No one's on-duty. Walk 'round the desk. Spilled coffee on the floor. I go in his room; damned cuffs are on the floor. Lunatic's got that poor, sweet, little doc. Shit. Will, I won't be able to forgive myself something happens to her. Got a girl her age."

Will patted the officer's shoulder and Kol nodded for Lucien to go ahead of him. They made their way across the lobby while the cops talked. Kol would bet they did not look into the area he intended on searching, yet.

Kol made his way down the hall and then pushed a door with a "Closed for Construction!" sign on it. Thankfully, being under construction meant the bloody cards would not need to be used. Less fuss, and no sign of entrance. He did not need the cops under foot.

"This way!" Kol entered the hallway which was lit by a series of lights left by the construction crew. Lucien followed him. The resident stopped to collect a piece of wood before they made their way, checking each room in turn and taking corners with care. Nothing so far. They went up to the second and third floors. Nothing. The fourth, still, nothing. Perhaps he had taken her somewhere else. Kol's stomach tightened. His fists balled. He was just as angry at himself as he was with Davina's kidnapper. Why hadn't he listened to Lucien? Who knew what this person was doing to Davina. Bloody holiday.

All of these thoughts were going through Kol's head when they arrived on the fifth floor. Edging his way down, he heard someone talking. And a quiet sobbing. "Oh, chère. I'm telling you not to worry your pretty, little head 'bout a thing. You, and me, we're gonna have a real nice time out on the open road."

As the man spoke, Kol looked inside the room. He saw a man in blue scrubs. He knelt before Davina. His finger drew across her cheek. "Yes, Miss Davina Claire, you, and me, we've got nothin' but nice times ahead of us. Don't we, chère?"

Kol turned to Lucien and motioned for Lucien to get on the other side of the door. Lucien, for once, obeyed his order without an argument. Closing his eyes, Kol prayed to anyone who was listening to get them out of this; then he moved to stand outside the door. "Davina!" he shouted.

"Lover boy!" The man turned with a wide grin while Davina tried to say something through her gag. "Now, I was beginning to think you'd grown cold to the likes of our girl."

"She's not our girl!" Kol snarled out.

"You're right about that, son. Girl like her. Deserves much, much better than the likes of you." Grinning, the man came to the doorway. Just as he emerged, a flash of metal shone in a light, and Kol saw he'd taken a scalpel. Lucien raised the piece of wood and was about to bring it down on the man's head when the man turned and shoved the scalpel into Lucien's middle Lucien's eyes went wide.

The wood fell to the floor as the kidnapper jerked the scalpel back out and turned to Kol. "One down," his smile froze on his lips. He turned his head to look behind him.

Davina stood. Her right hand was still trembling. Kol saw a pen sticking out of the the man's cervical spine. He reached back to pull it out. "I would not do that, if I were you. Unless you fancy permanent paralysis."

The kidnapper did not look amused, and still he moved to pull the pen out. "We can fix it, but you have to put the scalpel down," Davina said, edging around her kidnapper, to stand beside Kol.

"You would help me, chère?" he inquired with a grin.

"Yes." Davina nodded. "Kol, call for help." Kol pulled out his phone and made the call.

_Freya_

Freya Mikaelson yawned as she made her way across the parking lot. She'd heard there was quite a bit of excitement going on tonight. She just had no idea how much.

Going to the doors, she had to show her badge before entering the hospital. "Code's over," one security guard said to the one who made Freya show her ID.

"I know. But you heard about the cop who's in deep water 'cause he needed to take a piss." The first security guard shrugged. "I need this job, man."

Freya went up the stairs to the ICU. She found an officer and a detective standing at the end of the hallway. "Stop!" The detective held up a hand, making his way towards Freya.

"That's Freya, Will!" Vincent Griffith appeared behind the desk. He waved for Freya to come and join him.

Will nodded at Freya. "Sorry. Don't know who's who."

"That's alright, detective." Freya made her way over to sit with Vincent who seemed excited about something. "What's going on?" she asked him.

Vincent pointed at the computer screen. "I think it's him."

"You think who is what?" Freya's brows rose as she looked to the glowing screen. Window after window was open. She scanned the headlines: Local Woman Goes Missing. Teen Still Not Found. Wife. Mother. Daughter. Six months. Two Years. Family and Friends Vow to Continue Looking. "Vince, what is this?"

"Him!" Vincent nodded at the closed door of room 391. "He's the one who took my wife. And I suspect he took all of these women." He waved at the screen. Then he pulled up a picture of a young woman. "Francis May Delecroix. Disappeared 2012. Age seventeen. Remind you of anyone?"

Freya thought about that. "I suppose she looks a bit like Davina."

Vincent nodded. "Eva and Davina don't look alike other than having long dark hair. But look at these women."

"Similar hair color." Freya glanced at Vincent.

"Serial killers used less than that to choose their victims. He's also attracted to women who would have been born the same year as his sister, or within the decade. It all means something to him. It's also ritual."

"What do you want to do?" Freya did not like where this seemed to be going.

"I want to have a little chat with Mr. Delecroix."

"Vince..." But he was already on his feet, headed towards the door.

"Hey!" The officer called.

"Vince!" Will called.

"He needs his vitals checked," Vincent said, hands held up.

Freya got up and went to Vincent's side. "I'll be with him, the whole time."

Will, let them have a look. "Five minutes."

"All I need." Vincent pushed the door open. "If Will had been on the case, they might have found Eva..." He said no more as the door closed behind Freya.

They made their way over to the bed where Delecroix laid on his back. A pen stood in the back of his neck. "Come to give me more pain medications, doctors?" Delecroix drawled with a grin. "Ah, look, another pretty doc." He eyed Freya who glared back.

"Actually, no, Mr. Delecroix, we are not here to give you meds. I wanted to ask you a question." Vincent grabbed a chair and pulled it up to the bedside.

Delecroix grinned. "Got nowhere to be, chère. Go right ahead and ask away."

Hand going into his pocket, Vincent pulled out his phone and swept his thumb over the screen. He pulled up a picture of a smiling woman and then turned it holding it close to Delecroix's face. "You ever seen this woman?"

A smile appeared on Delecroix's face. "Will I get this pen out of my neck if I answer?"

Vincent nodded and Delecroix stared at the picture. His eyes closed. "Hmm. I do not believe I do know her. Although she is lovely."

Letting out a mirthless chuckle, Vincent's hands shook as he tapped his feet on the floor shaking his head. "Try again."

"You a cop, too, Doc?"

"No. Just a man looking for answers." Placing the phone closer to Delecroix, Vincent leaned over. "Her name was Eva. She was going to the local market. She never got there. Never came home."

"Eva?" Delecroix said her name slowly. "Eva."

There was another pause. Wish I could help ya, but I just do not recall."

Slowly, Vincent got to his feet and his hand went to the pen. "Would you like to try again?"

"Vincent..." Freya could not allow Vincent to ruin his career over this monster. "We should leave-"

"Look at her!" Vincent snarled, still gripping the pen, "or, so help me God; I will send you straight to hell."

Delecroix rolled towards Freya. "She was pretty. Like that one, there. All legs. And, boy, she knew how to strut on them. Hair down her back. The biggest smile on her face. She wanted to help with my boy. I couldn't find him. 'Please, ma'am. Must be around here somewhere... And she was a fighter, too. She licked me all black and blue." He laughed, his tongue going out to kick his lips. "Dug her nails in 'til I bled-like the boy I got with your little knives. Yes! I was bleeding something horrible by the time I got her settled in the car. Could barely drive. Eyes blurring from the tears and the pain. But she was worth it. Such nice, soft skin." He rubbed his cheek on the pillow and growled.

Now, Delecroix's eyes went to Vincent. "You the husband? Yes. You are. She died with your name on her lips. Still hear her in my dreams: Vin-cent!"

Not sure how this would end, Freya moved closer to Vincent but he let go of the pen before she got there. He took several steps backwards.

"Gonna kill me, aren't ya?" Delecroix called to Vincent. "Come on, now! Don't get wimpy on me! You want to know what else I did to Eva? Huh!"

"Enough!" Freya snapped.

"They're gonna patch me up, and you're never gonna find her, you know!" Delecroix called. "I'll be out by year's end!"

"Shut up before I finish it!" Freya hissed and then she turned, following Vincent out. They went down the hall and sat on the floor. Freya sat beside him and wrapped her arms around him. The nightmare had an end, she hoped.

**Thank you for reading, faving, following, and reviewing. **

**Happy Halloween! **

**Be safe,**

**-J **


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello, my lovely readers. This chapter is not quite as dark, but it does deal with the aftermath of the last chap. On with the show...**

Chapter 15: Lean On Me

Hayley

There was a slight chill in the air. It was the last day of October. Halloween. Hayley and Elijah Mikaelson might have been at home, trying to decide how they wanted to spend the evening, or sleeping through the night, but they got a phone call that made the decision for them. Leaves crunched under their feet while they flanked the short woman between them. She wore a hoodie, trying to keep her identity hidden. Someone must have said something, because a flock of reporters stood in steps leading away from the front entrance to New Orleans' Police Department. And the second the trio exited the building, microphones aimed at the woman under the hood. Hayley wrapped an arm around the woman. Elijah moved on front of them. It still was not enough.

"Dr. Claire!" The reporters began to call out. "Dr. Claire! Tell us: What does it feel like to be a real-life heroine on Halloween?"

"You faced the New Orleans Stalker, and lived to tell the tale!" Another reported shouted, moving closer.

"Get away from her!" Hayley snapped, pushing a microphone put of Davina's face as Davina pulled her hood lower over her face.

"Dr. Claire!" They continued to call, trying go follow the group. Elijah pulled the back door open to his car. Davina slid in the back, and Elijah glared at a reporter who jammed himself between the door and Davina.

Elijah pointed at the police department. "Do I need to ask an officer to order you to leave Dr. Claire alone?" he asked.

"Hey, man. We just want an comment." The male reporter grinned until Elijah stared at him silently. Finally, the reporter let put a cough and backed up. Elijah pushed the door closed. Hayley opened the passenger side door and got in. She took time to buckle up before she turned to look at Davina. She could not see the expression on her sister's face because Davina still had her hood up. But Davina had her arms crossed over her chest, leaning over, trying to make herself smaller.

Elijah got in, buckled his seatbelt, and blew his horn at the remaining idiots who refused to back the hell off. Soon, they were able to escape the parking lot, and head home.

The silence in the car was only disturbed when Davina called, "Can I stay with you? Tonight?" She pushed the hood back, her eyes were wide as she stared at Hayley.

Glancing at Hayley, Elijah answered for them. "Of course, you can," he replied.

Hayley leaned back, to place a hand on Davina's knee. "You'll be okay."

Davina nodded, looking out the window. "I know." But she did not look okay.

~0~

Two hours later, Hayley, Davina, and Elijah sat in Hayley's and Elijah's house. The women were on the couch. Elijah sat in a comfortable chair. An animated Halloween movie played in the background while Davina laid under a blanket. Her head was on Hayley's knees. The older sister stroked the younger's hair. Eventually, Davina would go to sleep, or so Hayley had been thinking for the past hour.

Then the doorbell went off and everyone tensed. Davina shot upward, the blanket falling to the floor ad her arms and legs went around her body. Rising, Elijah looked to Hayley. "If it is a reporter; I will send them away." He strode toward the front door while Hayley watched with a frown.

It was not a reporter. Elijah moved aside after speaking with the person at the door. Hayley rose as Philip Walters strode in. His hair was a mess, like he'd been running his hands through his curls, again and again. His sweater had moth holes, and Hayley did not know he had a pair of jeans that old. Nor did she know that her biological father could look this much like a distraught parent. His eyes met Hayley's. "Where is she?" he asked.

"Dad?" Davina moved around Hayley and ran to Phil. She began to sob. Phil hugged Davina tight. Hayley folder her arms over her chest, watching them.

"You're okay?" Phil cupped Davina's cheek.

Davina nodded. "Not okay-okay, but not dead." She let out a sniffle.

Phil let out a quiet laugh. "Well, I will take not dead aby day of the week. Here." He led her back to the couch, and Davina sat down, Phil leaned down. He picked up the discarded blanket. Standing up, he laid the blanket over Davina, tucking it around her. "It's a bit chilly outside. So, why don't make us some cocoa. Then grab some cookies. How does that sound?"

The first smile since they got back to the house appeared in Davina's face. "Sounds good."

Phil smiled and headed for the kitchen. "I'll help you," Hayley called, moving to follow her father into the kitchen.

Still not pleased, Hayley watched Phil begin to search her cabinets. "Hales, mugs?" Phil called to her, not looking at his oldest daughter. Hayley made her way over, opened a door, withdrew four mugs, and set them down. "Thank you," Phil said. He turned to make his way over to the fridge and opened the door, removing a bottle of milk.

"What do you think you're doing?" Hayley demanded, staring at her father while he took a sauce pan and filled it with milk.

Brows rising, Phil seemed amused. "Making hot chocolate. You do have chocolate, don't you?"

"Yes." Hayley opened another cabinet door, pulled put a box and tossed it on the counter, giving her father a pointed look. "I'm referring to all of this! Trying to play 'Dad!' I heard you conversation with Mom. But she isn't gone, yet. So, you don't have to try so damned hard. Davina and I have our mother."

Pausing in the act of turning on s burner under the milk; Phil let a sigh. "Hayley, I am not trying to replace your mother. But we are going to lose her. I just want to be part of your lives. That's all. I had a good life. But I also missed out seeing your Halloween costumes, and dances, and crushes, and skinned knees, and tucking you two on bed at night. And if you think I didn't care; you're wrong. Every single time I went to see my friends, and saw their kids, all I could think about was if you and Davina were safe. I can't change our past, but let me try, just try to give us a future... Please..." Phil stared at Hayley and she did not know what to say. He edged closer to her, wrapping his arms around her and she placed her head on his shoulder.

"Hey! I thought you were making cocoa?" Davina said, clutching the blanket under her chin and looking like a very tall five-year-old. Phil held put an arm, and she moved to join their hug. Family. Hayley decided, maybe she could try to make this work.

~0~

In the morning there was a text from Mikael. He was forcing most of the staff to participate in a mandatory meeting to discuss safety. Elijah and Hayley pulled into the parking lot, but did not get out right away. "Hayley," Elijah said softly, glancing at her, his fingers moving to link with hers.

"Yes?" Hayley turned to face him.

"I was thinking... Why don't we adopt? Niklaus and Caroline seem to be happy with their choice. I did not wish to wait any longer to expand our family." His eyes moved to meet Hayley's.

Hayley stared at Elijah. "I know I haven't gotten pregnant, yet, but-"

"I would be pleased if you did-" Elijah began when Hayley leaned over and kissed him on the lips.

Pulling back, Hayley nodded. "Let's look into it. There are still so many kids who need a home."

"And the Mikaelsons are known for being a large family," Elijah replied.

Hayley nodded. "I know. Could you see us with, like, seven kids?" Her husband's eyes lit up. "Okay. Let's start with one, and see how it goes from there?" Elijah nodded, leaning over to kiss her, again. They were gong to be late for work. And Hayley did not care.

Marcel

Perched on the end of Rebekah Mikaelson's bed; Marcel Gerard watched his girlfriend sleep. She looked peaceful. Her chest rose and feel in a rhythmic pattern as she laid, curled up on her side. It felt like she might sleep the day away. Marcel felt guilty. Maybe he should leave her alone. She obviously needed the rest. He looked at the bag that he'd set on her nightstand. If he had known he'd be leaving so soon, he would have left a rose beside it, with a note, but he thought she would be up by now.

Well, he could still write her a quick note. Just needed to grab a pen and paper- His thought was interrupted by the sound of Rebekah phone letting out a loud beep. She let out a loud curse: "Damn!" Before she rolled onto her back, blindly reaching for her phone. With a yawn, she sat up, blinked and then let out an ear-piercing scream.

"Bekah, it's me!" Marcel moved forward on the bed, to place one hand on her knee, and the other on her cheek as Rebekah placed her own hands over her chest, breathing heavily. "Hey! Hey! It's just me!" He leaned over to kiss her on the forehead, a loud banging sound came from behind them. Now, it was Marcel's turn to feel afraid.

"Hands in the air!" Tiffany Marshall shouted, a shotgun in her hands.

"Bloody hell!" Rebekah shouted as Marcel placed his hands into the air, as instructed.

Tiffany frowned. The gun lowered and she rolled her eyes. "There are too many people who have access to my house. I am sorry, Dr. Gerard, after the news, last night, I thought someone might have broken in..." She chuckled. "Should have known it was just one of Rebekah's suitors. Well, I am off to bed. Have a good day in the OR. God, I wish I were in your place," she was saying on her way out.

"Who let that woman have a gun?" Reba slid off the side of the bed. She scowled picking up her phone. "Oh, good. Father texted about a bloody meeting on safety. If only he'd though on that one before Davina Claire nearly made us a new headline. I must call Hayley to tell her to disarm her mother. Have you spoken to Davina?" She glanced at Marcel.

"No." Marcel intended on swinging by Davina's place, to see how she was, after work, but he really wanted to be able to talk to Rebekah. "I came by to-"

"What's this?" Rebekah's nose wrinkled as she sniffed the air. "Poppy seed bagels?" She opened the bag and pulled one out. Taking a bite, she groaned, "So good!"

"There's cream cheese, too. And a decaf, French vanilla cappuccino." Marcel watched Rebekah grab the cup and take a long sip. "Bekah, I wanted to ask you a question..."

Rebekah nodded as she opened the cream cheese and shoved a piece of bagel in it. "Um-hmm." Her eyes moved to him

Marcel felt nervous. Why did he have to feel so damned nervous. His hand went to his pocket. Pulling out the small, black box, he slid off the bed, and onto one knee. "Rebekah Mikaelson, will you forsake all others, and agree to be with me, always and forever?"

Freezing, Rebekah stood with cappuccino in one hand, bagel in the other, still in her comfy PJs, hair standing out one side, with a bit of cream cheese stuck to his of her mouth, and she was still the most gorgeous woman Marcel had ever seen. "Bekah?"

Phone beeping, again, Rebekah set down the bagel, and the drink. She turned back to Marcel. Her yes had begun to glitter with tears. Her left hand rose, and she held it out to him, breathing slowly. He slid the diamond onto her finger. "Is this a 'Yes?'"

Rebekah nodded. "Yes! Yes!" She threw her arms around him as he got to his feet. He paused to whip the cream cheese away with his thumb and licked it off before he kissed her deeply. "I am making you late for that meeting," he said, picking her up, and laying her across the bed.

"And as long as Hayley's mother does not try to shot us, again, I will allow you to," Rebekah replied, only quieting when Marcel began to kiss her.

Vincent

Book open in his lap, Vincent Griffith was reading for fun. His roommates found this to be hilarious; so Vincent was sitting on the empty doctor's lounge. He flipped a page. Sherlock Holmes had just found the culprit attempting to murder-beep. Eyes flicking to his phone screen, Vincent froze. His breath caught in his throat. Will. Detective Will Kinney's name lit up on Vincent's screen as the phone buzzed away. The device seemed to be irritable because Vincent could not will-no pun intended-himself to answer.

Finally, Vincent exhaled. He closed his book with care. It was meant to keep him calm prior to his first surgery with Dr. Klaus Mikaelson. His hand been so steady, all morning long. It had been a week since The New Orleans Stalker had been hauled off to a jail cell. A long week. And Vincent had found a place in his mind to keep that man.

Thumb sliding across the screen, Vincent said: "Hello, Will."

"Vince. You're not busy, are you?"

Incentives shook his head before saying. "Nope. What's going on?"

Will hesitated. That's when Vincent knew. His eyes closed as Will began to speak. "Vincent, we talked with him. With Delacroix. At first, he didn't want to talk." Will paused, "He had a request... He wanted to be able to meet with Davina. And she agreed. For that, he made us a map. We recovered Eva..."

"You're sure it's her?"

Teeth coming to together, Vincent leaned forward in his seat. He held back a scream as Will said, "Yes. Dental records gave a positive ID.

Will did not say anything for a moment. "Vince-"

"Where... Where did you find her..." Tears were swimming in Vincent's eyes as he ran a hand over his face, falling back in his seat.

Another pause. "There is a warehouse. About a mile from the market you said she was going to that day..." The day he took her.

"Anyone else. I mean... Did they find anyone else... To give their family some damned..." Closure. Vincent meant to say 'closure,' but the word caught in his throat.

"No. But we're going to keep looking." Will did not speak and then, "Me, and Cami, we don't think you should be alone tonight. It can be a bit chaotic, with the kids, and everything, but you should come over. Have dinner with us-"

"I'll be fine, Will. Thank you... Thanks, man." Hanging up, Vincent silenced his phone and dropped it into his lab coat. His hand went to his book. He had to ready for surgery in give hours. Re-opening it, it took him several tries to find his place, but he did. He could get through this. He would be fine.

~0~

"Usually, I do not allow resident to touch my patients," Klaus Mikaelson said, his eyes flicking from the baby on the gurney, to Vincent who stood across from him. "However, everyone raves about you. Most especially my darling sister, Freya. I thought I would see what all the fuss was about." He smirked and held out a hand, "Ten-blade!" he called.

A nurse slapped the tool into Klaus' hand. He worked with precision and accuracy. Klaus' skill was pure artistry. Yes, Vincent needed to leave all of his emotions at the door of the scrub room. He had plenty to learn at this exact moment. "Your turn." Hand turning, Klaus held out the blade for Vincent to make a second incision. The path had been marked. Nothing to fear. Just losing his career. Worse yet, harming this poor little girl who had never done anything to anyone in the world, and becoming the monster that her parents reviled, the way he reviled the man who took his Eva.

"Dr. Griffith?" Klaus stared at Vincent as Vincent let out a tagged breath. Gripping the ten-blade in his hand, Vincent could see his wife's face. He hears her singing. Her hands. Oh... She was gone. She'd been gone, lying alone in that building that Vincent must have passed by...so many times...

"Vincent?" Klaus called.

Raising his eyes, Vincent shook his head. "I'm so sorry, Doctor. I can't...can't cut into this child...I can't risk taking her from her family... I have to... I have to... I have to go..." He dropped the blade on the floor, turned and took off.

This would mark the end of Vincent's career. No one would ever let him inside an OR, ever again. But he could not do it. He'd taken an oath to do no harm. His work did not matter. That child. She did.

~0~

Kneeling outside of the building that Will had said Eva had laid, for years; Vincent set a bouquet of flowers. They were wild, like Eva. The kind they had for their dinner party that night. He placed his thumb and forefinger around the bridge of his nose. He'd forgotten how to pray, felt like he'd been forsaken. But he would pray for his Eva. He would pray hard that she found peace. His free hand went to the ground. A sob wracked his body.

A hand came to his shoulder. Vincent's head snapped up and he found Lucien Castle and Oliver Keener standing over him. He opened his mouth to speak and found himself unable to as Ollie laid a bouquet of flowers down beside Vincent's. Lucien laid another bouquet down beside that one. His friends knelt beside him. With the smallest of smiles, Vincent locked hands with these two men. They closed their eyes and Vincent lowered his head once more.

Time went by before they rose. "How did you find me?" Vincent asked.

"Lucien's been stalking all of us, using his tech geek skills." Oliver smirked at Lucien who rolled his eyes. "Tyler's running a little late. But he'll be here, too."

"Thank you," Vincent placed a hand on Lucien's shoulder. Looking to Oliver, Vincent nodded. "Eva would be happy to know that you were here. She always worried about what would become of me if something ever happened to her..."

"Eva, he's gonna be okay. You can rest now." Oliver called to the sky.

One cloud went drifting by and Vincent liked to think Eva was on it. "I think she heard. You guys want to go home?"

"I'll text Ty," Oliver said. "And cook dinner."

"No!" Vincent and Lucien cried.

"I thought you guys liked my rabbit!" Oliver have them a suspicious look.

Lucien pursed his lips. "With a good merlot, anything is tolerable."

"I'll show you tolerable!" Oliver cried, chasing Lucien who took off in a run.

Vincent looked to the sky, one more time. "See what you left me with, baby?" he called, but he was smiling. "Idiots."

**Thank you for reading, faving, following, and reviewing. :)**

**Be safe, **

**-J**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello, my lovely readers. There is a lot of happiness and some painful moments in this chap. So, strap in for a bumpy ride. On with the show...**

Chapter 16: Come Fly with Me

_Phil_

Pacing outside of Bonnie Bennett's house, Philip Walters lifted his face to the sky. If only he could be struck by divine inspiration. Given his luck, Phil figured he was much more likely to be struck by a fiery comet. Maybe a bolt of lightening. He'd spent too many years in which he'd chosen to be with women who either slammed their doors in his face, or who made it far too easy for him. And he'd only loved one of them: Tiffany. But he acted like a fool with her. Just when he thought he'd never allow another woman to get under his skin; he met Bonnie Bennett. She set his world ablaze. For Philip, this was terrifying, and he never shrank back from a fight or an adventure. But Bonnie...she could destroy him with a word. The possibilty of laying himself bare to her-only for her to turn her back on him-well, Phil was not sure he would recover.

The front door opened; out stepped Bonnie. She tugged her long, green sweater around her. A frown marred her brow. Her eyes shown with confusion. "Phil?" she called as rain began to patter against the grass under their feet. "What are you doing here?"

Phil inhaled and walked towards her. His hands went into his hair. At first, he couldn't find his voice. Eyes going down to Bonnie's, Phil took her hands in his. "An old friend told me lately that I've been a fool. Can't say I disagree. Because I found this woman. And she makes my knees weak. My heart rate goes up. Whenever she smiles, I find myself smiling with her. Her laugh is the best sound in morning. Her hands are what I ache to feel at night. I wake up wishing she was with me. Every, single day. I love her. And I just wish she'd know that for me: She's it. All I want. For the rest of my life."

"Phil?" Bonnie's eyes widened as Phil sank to his knees in the damp grass, soaking his pants.

"Bonnie Bennett, I love you. You. Alright? Don't make me spend the rest of my life wondering what we could have had. Please?" Bonnie's head began to bob up and down. Rising to his feet, Phil cupped her face and kissed her. Her hands went into his hair. He reached down, scooping her up and carried her to her door.

Inside the house, Phil carried Bonnie up to her bedroom. He set her on her feet. Her eyes were shinning as she undid the buttons of his shirt and he tugged her sweater off. She gasped when he hauled her up, moving to her bed. They fell down and he leaned back to look down at her. "I vow to worship you for the rest our life."

"Worship away!" Bonnie cried. She leaned up, hand sliding around the back of his neck. He fell on top of her and they did not talk for a long time afterward.

~0~

"What are you up to?" Bonnie called. "And is that my robe?" She came in the kitchen to lean into Phil's back. Phil glanced down at the red, silk robe.

"I think it might be, Ms. Bennett." Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Phil tugged Bonnie in front of him. He pressed his nose into the back of her neck. "You smell like fine wine," he muttered, running his lips over her skin. His hand snuck under her blouse to run over the curve of her back.

Bonnie sighed. Her head fell on his shoulder, cranning backwards as his lips reached her jawline. "That's because my shampoo uses red grapes."

"Remind me to send them a 'Thank you' note. Dear Shampoo company, you make my girl intoxicating-"

"Woman."

"My woman. God, she makes me want to drink her," Phil muttered into Bonnie's ear.

Laughing, Bonnie turned in his arms. "Can't say I'd complain about those plans. But I do have an early shift, tomorrow-And something smells really good in here. What have you been up to, Phil?" She turned to go over and open the oven. "Did you make apricot muffins?" Her gaze moved to Phil. He could not tell if she was pleased or not.

Phil went over to the counter. His hand moved to rest of a small, blue box with hand-painted flowers on it. "This box was so pretty, and just begged for me to take a peek inside. I hope you don't mind."

Bonnie shook her head. A smile formed on her face. "Well, Pandora, you weren't worried about what kind of chaos you would unleash on my kitchen?"

"Chaos?" Moving to cross the distance between them, Phil wrapped his arms around Bonnie's waist. "Ms. Bennett, I assure you, the last thing I intend to do is to cause chaos."

"But you don't know the history of apricot muffins." Bonnie chuckled, rolling her eyes as Phil nuzzled her cheek with his nose.

"Then tell me," Phil said, "while I rescue your oven from the chaotic muffins." He donned an oven mitt and removed the trouble muffins.

Bonnie made her way over to free a muffin from the tin. She eased the paper away and steam poured out from the pipping hot pastry. "That little box you were admiring," inclining her head in thre direction of said box; Bonnie took a piece of muffin and blew on it, "belonged to my Grams." Placing the muffin in her mouth, her eyes squeezed shut. A sigh of pleasure escaped Bonnie before she looked at Phil. "The last time my Grams made me apricot muffins was the day I was accepted to med school. I wasn't that happy because I made muffins for the boy I'd been seeing. And do you know what he told me?"

Phil shook his head. Picking up another muffin, he freed it and took a bite. "Damn. This is best muffin I've had in the history of muffin-eating."

Now, Bonnie began to laugh. Her smile was so bright, Phil felt sure he could turn the overhead light off because she would light up the room. "No, honey. He told me that he liked store-bought muffins. I told my Grams and she told me: Child, that boy was not right for you. See, anyone who can't put love into their cooking-and can't receive it-when it's given; they not worth the trouble."

"So, are these love muffins?" Phil inquired with a teasing grin.

Nodding, Bonnie smiled back. "I think Grams would have approved."

"Good." Phil closed the space between them. Kissing Bonnie until neither of them could catch their breath. When he pulled back, Bonnie pressed her hands to his ass. Her mouth moved to his chest. "Bonnie..."

"Um-hmm?" Bonnie replied, tugging at the belt of her robe.

"I have another surprise for you," Phil whispered into her ear. "But you have to trust me."

Pulling back, Bonnie nodded. "I trust you."

"Good." Lacing their fingers together, Phil took a step back. "I have to go get dressed. Then I want you to take a leap of faith with me."

"What?" Bonnie called as Phil headed out of the kitchen. "Phil, what does that mean?" She followed him to the bottom of the stairs.

Phil paused a couple of steps up. "I thought you said you trust me..."

"I do." Bonnie stared up at him.

With a smile, Phil said, "Then don't worry. And go finish your muffin."

~0~

Blindfolded, Bonnie sat next to Phil as he helped her place a pack on her back. "Phil, why do I think we're on a plane?" she called as the propeller started up. "And what is on my back?"

"Trust me, Bon." Phil pressed a long kiss to her lips.

Groaning, Bonnie held onto his hand tightly. The plane took off, and Phil stared out the window in the front. He waited until they had been in air for fifteen minutes before he slid her blindfold off.

Eyes going wide, Bonnie grabbed Phil by the shoulder. "We're on a plane. Not the kind with mini vodkas, but... Oh, no! You didn't! Phil! Are you crazy!" Her green eyes stared into his with so much dread Phil almost felt guilty.

"Bonnie Bennett. You survived cancer. You're a doctor. You're going to be a world-class researcher. And you are afraid to fly? Baby, you already do. Every, single day. So, I want you to be part of my world." He watched Bonnie's eyes tick to the door they would be going to go out of. Her eyes were still wide. "You don't have to jump. But I was hoping you would..."

Inhaling, Bonnie straightened her shoulders. "You're right. Cancer couldn't kick my ass. And I am a phoenix, I rise. Okay. Let's do this crazy-ass thing before my fear of heights kicks in and I puke." She took Phil's hand.

The instructor knelt by the door. "Okay, Bonnie, don't worry. We're going to attach your belt to Phil. He's been up, about a dozen times, and he's still alive. You'll be fine. Phil, no crazy stunts with the first-timer!"

Phil nodded with a grin. "This is the love of my life. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to her!"

"Good!" The instructor pulled the door open and wind whooshed in.

Bonnie let out a scream. "This is insane!"

"Don't panic!" The instructor advised. "On the count of five. One. Two. Three. Four."

"Five!" Phil called, jumping out.

Again, Bonnie screamed. Her hands went over her eyes and she shook her head. "I don't want to die like this!"

Phil counted off the seconds before he pulled the rip cord. "Are we dead?" Bonnie shouted as the parachute jerked them up and then they began to fly towards the ground.

"No, baby! Look at the world with me!"

"Looking ends in vomit!" Bonnie mumbled, but her hands came down. "Oh! Trees! And a field! Aim for the field!" She pointed at the flower-covered field. That is where Phil settled them on their feet. "Okay." Bonnie sat down in the grass and laughed. "So, that is what you call a leap of faith?"

"No. This is." Phil knelt down on one knee. "This is." He pulled a small box out of his pants pocket. "You can call this an engagement ring, or a ring that tells the world that we choose each other, above all others. Anyway you look at it, Bonnie, I want you to know that this ring symbolizes my life with you, my love for you, and desire to be with you, until death do we part." Pulling out the ring, he held out his hand. "Will you do me the honor?"

"Are you kidding me? I just jumped out of a plane with you! Ring me, mister!" Bonnie held out her hand. Phil slid it on before picking her up and kissing her. He could not be happier than he was in that moment.

_Hayley_

"I'm going to my Mom's. I may be home late." Hayley popped her head inside Elijah's office as she spoke. Her fingers were wrapped around the edge of the door while she looked around the darkened space for her husband. Lately, Elijah had been having severe headaches. This led him to sitting in the dark, a lot. It also led Hayley to not always knowing if her husband was in the same room. However, she knew he was not in surgery. Or the cafeteria. He wasn't with one of his family members. And his shift had not ended. So, the safe bet was his office.

"Elijah?" Hayley called. She stepped into the office. Her hand went to the light switch, but she thought better of it and waited.

"Yes?" Elijah's voice came out as barely more than a whisper. The lamp on his desk flicked on. His eyes squeezed shut. One hand went over his face.

Feeling a pang, Hayley crossed the floor. She rounded the desk to sit on the edge. Her hand went up and she placed it as gently as possible on the back of his head. He laid his head on her knee and she stroked his hair. "Elijah, you have to get checked out." Doctors really were the worst paitents. And she understood his fear. Just the thought of a positive test, or a shadow, on a scan made her heart stop beating for a moment.

Elijah nodded. "I know. I will make an appointment. Tomorrow."

Leaning down, Hayley pressed a kiss to the back of his head. "Please, go home. You need to rest."

Hayley sat up and looked at Elijah as he raised his head to stare up at her. "I will. I promise." He took her hand and kissed it.

With a smile, Hayley slid off the desk and headed for the door. Elijah's last word made her pause. "Hayley?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

Turning, Hayley grinned at her husband. "I love you, too." He smiled at her and she felt better. Hand going to the door, Hayley opened it and stepped into the hallway. She noted Elijah turning the light back off. This made her heart hesitate, again. He would get checked out. Soon. And everything would be fine. It had to be...

~0~

Keys in hand, Hayley let herself into her old house. Just like Elijah's office, all the lights were off. It felt strange sometimes to return to this house. She could still hear Jack strumming his guitar. Caroline and Tyler arguing about his leaving the toilet seat up. Rebekah walking through the room with a bottle of wine and a bag of snacks. Josh trying to decide if his shirt matching his shoes would turn his date-pre-Aiden-off. Rebekah was the only one of her friends who still lived here. And Tiffany. Hayley's mother.

Moving to the stairs, Hayley walked up them. She headed down the hall, to pause outside her mother's door. The door was closed. No light emitted from beneath the door. Hayley felt guilty if her mom was trying to take a nap, but they needed to talk. This could not wait.

Hand going up, Hayley knocked on the door. A startled gasp came from the other side of the wood. A soft thud. If Hayley had not perked her ears up, and the hall were not so quiet, she would have heard nothing at all. "Mom?" Hayley called. She knocked, again. "Mom, are you okay?"

"Hayley, dear?" Tiffany called from the other side of the door.

Nodding, Hayley waited. "Yeah, Mom. We need to talk. Can I come in?"

Tiffany muttered something. "Of course. Just one moment." Hayley pressed her ear to the door. She thought she heard her mother grunting. Her mother never grunted. What was she doing?

"Mom?"

"Coming!"

Then the door opened. Tiffany smoothed her hair. "I was about to take a shower." She offered Hayley that smile that used to tell Hayley everything was fine: when it was not. Not when the man who raised her went slamming out of the house. Not when her mother's eyes still sparkled with unshed tears. Not then. And not now.

"Can I come in?" Hayley's words made Tiffany's smile freeze. "Of course." She stepped aside and Hayley walked in.

Eyes moving over the room, Hayley tried to decide where the noise she heard earlier could have come from. She decided to check the bed, first. Hayley began to strip the bed.

"Excuse me, young lady! What in world do you think you are doing?" Tiffany demanded. Her hands went to her hips.

Not looking back at her mother, Hayley said, "Coming from the woman who has taken up brandishing firearms at her tenants?" Scoffing, Hayley dropped to her knees and placed her hands under the bed. Nothing. Her eyes sent to her mother's. "I thought you didn't like guns?"

Tiffany rolled her eyes. "I detest them. But your father left his old hunting weapon and there was that killer running about. How is your sister?"

"She misses you." Hayley's hand stilled as it came into contact with something hard. It was between thr mattress and the bedsprings. Fingers curling around it, Hayley pulled the object out. Her eyes narrowed at a full bottle of sleeping pills. "Mom?"

"I've even having trouble sleeping-"

"I heard you. Thr night of the dinner party. And if you think Phil can take your place: You're dead wrong!" Hayley got to her feet. She shook the bottle at her mother. "And this..." Tears choked her. "Mom?"

Tiffany moved to sit on the end of the bed. "Hayley..."

"Davina needs you, Mom..."

"Baby." Tiffany waved for Hayley to sit next to her. Hayley sat down. "You know, I don't want to leave. But I am. My body is failing me. Much more quickly than I suspected it would. The pain is becoming more than I can tolerate. The fear. I see things that are not there. Sometimes, I am trapped in dreams of things that already happened. I need to be released before I can no longer recognize myself, nor can my children. Please, Hayley. Try to understand."

"Just promise me you'll stay a little longer..." Hayley said, taking her mother's hand.

Tiffany cupped Hayley's cheek and kissed the top of her head. "I will try. For you. And your sister. But when it is time..."

"I know. I know, Mom..." Hayley wrapped her arms around her mother and asked herself if she could let go...

**Thank you reading, faving, following, and reviewing. :) **

**Be safe, **

**-J**


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